good morning. one-two punch. a second winter storm developing this morning just as much of the country digs out from the last one. major cities from washington, d.c. to new york to boston in its path. let's make a deal. president obama sitting down with top congressional leader from both parties in just hours. can they agree on something before sending the country over the fiscal cliff? and holy cow. $8 for a gallon of milk? why that utterly ridiculous price could be a very real possibility today, friday, december 28th, 2012.

and good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on a friday morning. i'm savannah guthrie. >> i'm willie geist in this morning. she is full of milk puns this morning. holy cow. utterly. >> what are you, lactose intolerant? >> the trifecta. >> we'll move on to the big story, which is the weather. we're bracing for another big storm before the last one is done. >> it's expected to bring a new round of travel headaches during a holiday travel weekend. how will it impact you in more on that ahead. also, retired general norman schwarzkopf has died at the age of 78. he's being remembered as one of the greatest military figures in u.s. history. more on his remarkable life coming up. also ahead, it happened again. a man shoved to his death in front of a new york city subway train. this time, the suspect is a

woman. we will have the details. and later, we'll look back at how we covered the biggest stories from 2012, from golden moments at the olympics to the hard-fought race for the white house and the unimaginable damage from superstorm sandy and more. we'll start with another winter storm getting ready to wallop a large swath of the country. maria larosa has the details. >> it places like arkansas just a few days ago under blizzard warnings. now we're talking about freezing rain advisories. also, the winter weather advisories. you see the advisories stretch back into the ohio valley, back into the northeast. that's basically the trail of the snow with this next system. so over the next 24 to 48 hours we'll see it develop. it will continue through the south with thunderstorms and showers. not to the extent of the severe weather with the last round, but you can see enough cold air you start to see the snow develop from ohio to pennsylvania. moving into d.c. overnight

tonight, into philadelphia and new york by saturday morning and on up into boston by saturday afternoon. it's a quick mover. generally speaking, the snow totals will be on the light side. we'll start in the next 24 hours. ohio valley, indianapolis, you could end up with an additional 3 to 6 inches of snowfall. as it moves into the northeast, we're talking about 1 to 3. timing, if you're doing any traveling, it's going to be treacherous. notice the dark purple in maine. that's a little bit of the mix. still snowfall from that last system. willie, back to you. >> all right, maria. thank you very much. with just four days left to avoid the fiscal cliff, congressional leaders heading to the white house this afternoon for key talks with president obama. nbc's capitol hill correspondent kelly o'donnell has more. kelly, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, willie. the top two democrats and republicans from the house and senate will sit down with the president middle of the afternoon. but we should tell you that behind the scenes the most senior staffers who have been given the task of negotiating have continued their

conversations looking for ways to try to bring a deal together. while the elected officials know they need to be more visible. >> mr. speaker, we ought to be here working, addressing these challenges. >> reporter: under pressure to show up, even if there is no deal to consider, congress will work this holiday weekend. the deadline is so close, outgoing members have already packed up their offices and need to move out while the harsh tone is going nowhere. >> the american people, i don't think understand the house of representatives is operating without the house of representatives. it's being operated with a dictatorship of the speaker. >> the president shows, instead, to spend his time on the campaign trail. >> reporter: what's at stake is real money for every american worker and family. >> the average family earning $50,000 to $75,000 a year will see their taxes rise $2400 in

2013. >> reporter: income tax rates go up at every level. taxes on capital gains and dividends will jump. the 2% payroll tax holiday ends. the alternative minimum tax will hit more families. long-term unemployment benefits expire. >> sad it got to this point, and it's scary, if anything. hopefully they're able to get to something this week. >> reporter: analysts say congress may miss its own deadline, and that could tee up a january fix, but damage may be unavoidable. >> when push comes to shove, they will find a way to bridge their differences. and it may not be pretty, but it will get done. it may get done in such a chaotic fashion that the economy will pay a price. >> reporter: so we hear from more democrats and republicans this sort of acceptance they might slip past that january 1st deadline and keep working on this. at the same time, both sides said they want to get a deal, and they know there's a lot of pressure from their constituents, from the larger political environment to do something. will this afternoon's meeting

have an impact? too soon to say, but it's a step that's intended to show they're working at it. willie. >> kelly o'donnell on capitol hill. thank you. we're joined now by republican senator john thune of south dakota and democratic senator chuck schumer of new york. gentlemen, good morning. by my count, we're less than 90 hours away now from the new year's eve deadline. senator thune, let me start with you. what do you and republicans need from democrats to get a deal done? >> well, what we would like to see, willie, is first off something that deals with spending. we believe this isn't a revenue issue. this is a spending issue. that ought to be a part of any solution. secondly, we ought to focus on jobs and the economy. anything that is done ought to be focused on what can we do to get the economy expanding, create jobs. when people are working, they're paying more taxes. the government is generating more revenue. that makes all these problems smaller by comparison. jobs and growth ought to be a guiding principle in this discussion, which is why

republicans are so reluctant to go for the big tax increases the president is trying to get through. >> senator, is it reasonable to ask taxes to go up on those households making more than $400,000 a year as the president presented to speaker boehner? >> well, you know, i think that republicans have been willing to accept the idea that revenue is going to have to be part of this solution. we also believe that the chuck schumer principle, which is $1 million, he ought to extend the rates for everybody under $1 million. that's something that if the democrats in the senate want to pick up a bill that passed in the house and amend it, send it back to the house, i think that's something that might pass. right now, we're at a stalemate because democrats haven't been willing to consider the issue of spending. all they want to deal with now is tax increases. that's bad for the economy. that hurts jobs. >> to that point, senator schumer, are there cuts to the budget you'd be willing to go along with at this point to avoid the fiscal cliff? if so, what are they? >> well, obviously, there are cuts in the budget. we know we have to cut some of

the mandatory programs and do other cuts, but it has to be accompanied with revenues. willie, i'm getting a little more optimistic today. sometimes it's darkest before the dawn. there are two good signs for optimism today. one is that leader mcconnell is actively engaged. you can't pass anything in the senate without democratic and republican votes because of the 60-vote barrier. we only have 53. for the first time, leader mcconnell is speaking to the president. if the senate is going to be the place where action starts, you need both of them there. the second reason for optimism is boehner is back at the table. because you can't pass something just through the senate. we see what a mess the house is. they couldn't even pass speaker boehner's own plan b. the fact that he's come back and the four of them are at the table means to me we could come up with some kind of agreement that would avoid the main parts of the fiscal cliff, particularly taxes going up on middle class people. now, i am hopeful, and it can be

a balanced package. we've always said it should be a balanced package. the problem has not been democrats being willing to do cuts. we did $1 trillion of them last year. we're willing to do more this year. the problem is revenues. >> senator thune, if we go over the fiscal cliff, it will have very real impact on americans and their pocketbooks. a lot of people who live outside washington watch this process and say, these guys have a self-imposed dead line on a very serious issue they may not meet. can you restore any confidence to the american people that they should believe in what you all are doing there? >> sure. i think it's encouraging that people are talking, willie. there is an agreement out there that can be reached, but, you know, as i said before, you can't do this just with revenues. the tax increases that would hit middle income americans and small businesses would be disastrous for the economy. even if the president got everything he wanted on taxes, it generates enough revenue to pay for less than a week of government spending next year

alone. so the question is, what do we do for the other 358 days of the year? well, we have to do something on the spending side of the equation. but the tax increases need to be averted. they need to be avoided. they can be. i think in the end we'll get a deal. the question is the timing of that. but it is encouraging that the sides are sitting down. they continue to have lines of communication that are open. and i view that as optimistic as well. >> senator schumer, i have about ten seconds here. will there be a deal by new year's eve? >> i am hopeful that there will be a deal that avoids the worst parts of the fiscal cliff, namely taxes going up on middle class people. i think there can be, and i think the odds are better than people think that they could be. >> let's hope so. senators chuck schumer and john thune, thank you both. savannah. >> all right. thank you. tributes are pouring in this morning for general norman schwarzkopf. "stormin' norman" as we became known died on thursday from complications of pneumonia. andrea mitchell has a look back at his life. good morning to you.

>> good morning. he was often compared to the most celebrated generals of the 20th century. a warrior's warrior with the charisma of douglas macarthur. he's being applauded as the most celebrated battle commander of his generation. nicknamed "stormin' norman" for his legendary temper, norman schwarzkopf was an american original. he used his pre-war briefings to try to scare saddam hussein into backing down. >> if the iraqis are dumb enough to attack, they'll pay a terrible price for it. >> they dare come across that border, i'm completely confident we're going to kick his butt. >> when the decision to go to war was made, schwarzkopf was ready with a plan to outflank the iraqi forces. former president bush with brian williams last year. >> i remember when he came and presented his plan at camp david to us and then we fine tuned it

a little bit or asked it be fine tuned. but he was a great soldier. >> commanding 540,000 americans and another 200,000 allied troops in the first war televised in realtime. general schwarzkopf's briefings made him a matinee idol. >> the simple fact of the matter is that now every time an iraqi airplane takes off the grounds, it's running away. as far as sue dam hussein being a great military strategist, he is neither a strategist nor is he schooled in the operational art. >> a west point graduate like his father, a famous new jersey state police leader who cracked the lindbergh kidnapping case, the younger schwarzkopf played football, wrestled, sang in the choir. in vietnam, he was wounded twice during two tours of duty. he returned from desert storm a celebrated hero, despite later

questions about president bush's decision to end the ground war after 100 hours, leaving saddam hussein in power. in recent years, general schwarzkopf battled poor health but will long be remembered as the commanding figure he once was. >> i just would be very happy if the history book said that i was a soldier who served his country with honor and loved his troops and loved his family. that's enough for me. >> president obama called the general an american original who stood tall for the country and the army he loved. most poignantly, though, former president george herbert walker bush issued a statement from his hospital bed in houston saying, quote, barbara and i mourn the loss of a true american patriot. more than that, said, president bush, he was a good and decent man and a dear friends. >> he was that and more. andrea mitchell in washington, thank you. a lot of other news to get to this morning. let's head to the news desk. that's where we find natalie morales. >> good morning, everyone.

speaking of the former president george h.w. bush, we have an update on his health. good morning to you, janet. >> reporter: natalie, good morning. an e-mail from former president bush's chief of staff is shedding new light on his condition today. it says in part she's confident he will recover. and she says, is he sick? yes. does he plan on going anywhere soon? no. he has every intention of staying put. he would ask me to tell you to please put the harps back in the closet. she goes on to say that mr. bush will likely be in the hospital for a while due to his age and he can use our prayers. natalie, back to you. >> we are sending them. janet, thank you. for the second time this month, a new york man has been pushed to his death in front of a subway train. witnesses say a mumbling woman shoved a man into the path of an oncoming train in queens on thursday evening. police said the man didn't seem to notice the woman before she

pushed him. she fled the scene and police are now searching for her. it's back to work for secretary of state hillary clinton after being sidelined for almost three weeks due to a concussion. doctors say clinton hit her head earlier this month after a stomach virus caused her to faint. clinton will return to her office schedule next week, but overseas travel will remain off the table for several more weeks. a woman has been arrested suspected of running a fraudulent fundraising scheme to profit off the sandy hook shooting tragedy. the 37-year-old was charged with lying to fbi agents investigating the alleged scam. she spoke off camera earlier this month with our own jeff rossen. the uncle of 6-year-old noah posner said he found a scammer online posing as the boy's aunt requesting donations to a personal paypal account. a federal criminal complaint filed alleges she used facebook, phone calls, and text messages to solicit money claiming she was paying for the child's

funeral fund. and now let's head to wall street. cnbc's mandy drury is at the new york stock exchange. good morning. >> good morning, natalie. we had a rally in asian stocks overnight with the japanese nikkei now up nearly 23% for the year. good if you've got a diversified portfol portfolio. obviously, fiscal cliff watching is front and center. that's key for the markets here. and did you like your holiday gift? well, about $63 billion worth of holiday goodies are going to be taken back to the store, but either exchanged or refunded according to the national retail federation. back to you. >> hopefully people still go out and buy. all right. thanks so much, mandy drury. and soul singer has passed away following complications from a recent heart attack. bass was most famous for her hit song "rescue me," a bubbly pop tune from 1965. ♪ come on baby and rescue me

come on baby and rescue me ♪ ♪ because i need you by my side ♪ ♪ can't you see that i'm lonely ♪ >> she was 72 years old. and you're up to date right now. it's 7:17. back over to savannah, willie, and maria larosa in for al. good song. >> a good song. good legacy, for sure. >> her legacy was always bopping. >> thank you, natalie. >> maria has a look at the weather. >> good morning, guys. more wet weather, more snowy weather for a lot of the same areas impacted by the last storm. so as we look ahead to today, we're sort of prepping for what's to come. you have some showers a look ah we're sort of prepping for what's to come. you got showers and thunderstorms spreading from the southeast into the mid south and again, this is not going to be to the severe levels as the last go around watch out for freezing rain too in parts of the ohio valley, snow on the northern end and eventually pushing into the northeast. notice the west, fairly quiet except the pacific northwest

will continue to see wind and showers from seattle down through san francisco. that's a look at the national weather. we'll get a look at your local forecast after this. if you're not awe fan of cold get out today because today is conditional. we'll see highs in the low to mid 40s with increasing clouds by noontime today. 41. 44 the high and then cooling quickly after 7:00 today as we drop into the 30s. snow starts around 2:00 or 3:00 a.m. and continues until 2:00 or 3:00 p.m. tomorrow and so the

storm is in and out with one to two everyones add snow changes to rain and areas of dk off to the south and east, two to three inches of snow expected up to the north. d that's a look at yo weather. d that's a look at yo willie, over to you. >> maria, thanks a lot. later this morning, we're going to take a look back at how we covered the biggest stories of the year. obviously, the tragic school shooting in connecticut is fresh on everybody's minds. what were your biggest stories of the year? >> it feels so obvious, but i think the presidential election has to be on the list. something that we all followed very, very closely. so much happened. the debates were obviously interesting, covering the convention. it happens once every four years. incredibly consequential. i think it says a lot about what presidential elections will look like. we learned a lot about the changing demographics of this country. >> exactly. looking forward to the inauguration coming up in the new year. i think for all of us, i think around here certainly we've covered superstorm sandy. this was such a tragic event.

i mean, a storm like this has not been seen here in this -- for centuries. i think that, you know, obviously the devastating effects that it continues to have on so many areas from the rockaways to new york to connecticut and long island. i was up in the helicopter. seeing that devastation first hand, when you see the scope of it, it's just enormous. >> this year was marked by a lot of tragedy from aurora, benghazi, and of course sandy hook. stories we all covered. there were a few moments of light. the olympics in london being one of them. all three of us were there. the remarkable opening ceremony with the video of the queen jumping out of the helicopter. there were some international moechl moments we can take away. >> no question. it's always amazing to take a look back. we're going to have -- i've been calling it an epic look back. pull up the chair, get out the popcorn. we'll do that later. also, why the price of ill

ma -- milk could soar to $8

coming up, russian president vladimir putin signs a bill overnight banning adoptions to americans. the heartbreaking impact on families across the country. also, the act that will get you a ride from a complete stranger, but is it safe? that story after your local news. [ gwen ] i used to sleep on the tour bus between shows. but that doesn't happen much anymore. the creative process never stops. and songwriting is so hard, but i love it. these days, i guess i just don't want to miss a thing. [ laughs ] i miss you guys. that's me. and this is my windows phone. [ male announcer ] new windows phone. reinvented around you. ♪ yeah, our low prices are even lower.

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and even hotter! actually, i just press this button. brew the coffee you love -- stronger, bigger, or hotter -- with the keurig vue. good morning, everyone. it is 7:26 on this friday, december 28th. in less than 24 hours, many of you will see more snow in our region. storm team 4 meteorologist veronica johnson is tracking the system. >> that's right. this is a saturday event for us. it starts late tonight. as far as today goes, the afternoon our temperatures are comparable to yesterday. low to mid 40s but with less wind around the area. clouds increase and we drop to the 30s after 7:00 and look at this, two to three inches up to the north in west minister and frederick and harnd hagerstown. baltimore and gathersburg and

then snow changing to rain in d.c. on south and east. look at your weekend. sunday is breezy and cold with a high of 38. >> thanks, so much. now to traffic alert. a water main break is causing some problems in bethesda. let's go to tony live in that area. >> reporter: we're following a big problem on 355 southbound right by cedar lane. look right now an overnight water main break is being repaired. they have actually fixed the and now they're filling the hole back up but i got to tell you these three lanes have been reduced to one so it's causing quite the traffic backup as many people travel down 355 to bethesda and on noop wisconsin avenue. if you're headed this way, notice that you will be needing to put a little time on your commute. the latest from bethesda, back to you. >> thanks a lot.

southbound 355 at cedar lane has the left lane getting by there the water main break but

not much delay on 270. causing a slowdown on 55 each way. and looking good right now on the beltway in montgomery county on the inner loop and outer loop. a looiv

the fab five is going gold. >> usa! >> who could forget that golden moment? the u.s. women's gymnastics team winning their first team gold medal since 1996, one of the bright spots in a year filled with serious news from the election to superstorm sandy and of course the tragedy in newtown, connecticut. in our next half hour, we're going to look back at how we covered the news this year on the "today" show. 7:30 now on this friday morning. it's the 28th of december, 2012. i'm savannah guthrie alongside willie geist, who's in for matt. >> also this morning, something that will be hard for many families to swallow. the price of milk could more

than double and very soon. as much as $8 a gallon. could be a real possibility. then, would you hitch a ride with a perfect stranger? don't answer that, willie. new ride sharing apps are fast, cheap, and gaining popularity, but they come with some safety concerns. we'll tell you about this. and millions of bats suddenly dying off in the united states. coming up, what is causing it and why it's so important to find a cure. let's start this half hour with a law signed by russia's president overnight that bans adoptions by u.s. citizens. agonizing news for american couples looking to start or expand their families. nbc's michelle kosinski is here this morning with more. >> it more russian children are adopted here in america than any other country. we're talking tens of thousands of country over the last 20 years or so. as of this morning, russia has just made this illegal effective immediately in a sort of diplomatic dispute with the u.s. that seems to have very little to do with the children.

they're like any proud parent. americans posting their stories of adopting russian children, showing their happiness on the internet. >> so we're leaving. >> this family traveled to russia in 2007 overjoyed to adopt ben. >> you've gotten to be a big boy. >> a head full of hair. >> i know. like daddy's. >> a relationship that took nearly a year to get started. >> it's a million pieces of paper. you laugh about it, but it really is quite an intensive process. >> now at home, ben just turned 7, very much an all-american boy. >> how about some milk? >> i hate milk. >> you hate milk. >> celebrating the holidays, last christmas they decided to adopt a second russian child, prepared to work through those sticky wheels of bureaucracy all

over again. now it's politics threatening to derail their dream entirely. russian president vladimir putin, angry about a new law targeting human rights violators, today has banned all adoptions to america. some lawmakers have been trumpeting certain cases in which kids were hurt in the states. like one in virginia four years ago when a child died after accidently being left in a hot car. the father was found not guilty of voluntary manslaughter. >> there really is a great irony here in that america speaks out against human rights violations in russia and then russia sort of responds by potentially denying many thousands of russian orphans the most basic human right of all, which is a loving, permanent family. >> right now, this family is waiting for a sibling for ben. the russian government has to invite them to meet a child they can adopt, and they're worried. >> now with this new development, it could come to a screeching halt. >> just from father to father, president putin, i just ask that

as a father just to consider what's happening to the families that are in process. let us at least go through the process and bring home our children. >> this is really sparked an emotional reaction here and in russia. unfortunately, it is expected to affect all those families who are in the process of adopting. what remains to be seen is how this will affect u.s./russian relations further in the future and whether russia might dial this back at some point. it's estimated hundreds of thousands of russian kids are in need of families. >> yeah, and these adoptions in progress, you already have some families that have been to russia, met the children. in come cases, already calling them mommy and daddy. now they're going to have to wait. difficult story. michelle, thanks so much. we'll take a turn now, get a check of the weather from maria larosa, who's in for al this morning. >> good morning, guys. we're feeling the chill here in the northeast. we have a nice warm crowd here. take a look at this temperature map. the high temperatures today, lots of us are going to be close

to or below freezing for high temperatures. look at that line. a big chunk of the country feelg for high temperatures. look at that line. so a big chunk of the country is feeling like december. to the south, below average with highs in the 40s and 50s. watching that winter storm, continue to develop as it comes through the south and freezing rain an issue in places like little rock on up into parts of the ohio valley. showers and storms as well as we get to the southeast. snow on the northern side that will come to the northeast as we get to late tonight and tomorrow. that's a look. here's your weather to expect. >> expect a fairly reasonable day today. we're going to see highs in the low to mid 40s. clouds will be on the increase. lots of high clouds moving in today. here's your day forecast. 9:00 a.m., 35 degrees. by noontime today, not bad. a high about 3:00 of 44 degrees. and by 5:00 p.m., 42, cooling fast after 7:00. here's a look at your snowfall amounts that we're expecting. two to three inches of snow up to the north. one to two across most of our and of course, sunday is

football night in america. we've got a big game on tap here. we have the cowboys at the redskins. increasing clouds, 32 to 36. i think you're a cowboys fan, right? i'm kidding. i'm kidding. >> redskins! redskins! >> all right. so we have increasing clouds. the snow will be done by then. by the way, you can check out your weather forecast 27/7 at weather.com. willie, back to you. >> that's a huge game. up next, would you pay $8 for a gallon of milk? you may have to very soon. that story right after this. the capital one cash rewards card gives you 1% cash back on all purchases, plus a 50% annual bonus. and everyone...but her likes 50% more cash. but i'm upping my game. do you want a candy cane? yes! do you want the puppy? yes! do you want a tricycle? yes! do you want 50 percent more cash? no! ♪ festive. [ male announcer ] the capital one cash rewards card gives you 1% cash back on every purchase plus a 50% annual bonus on the cash you earn. it's the card for people who like more cash.

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there's another important piece of legislation that needs attention. if nothing is done about it, the cost of milk could go sky high. here's nbc's stephanie gosk. >> reporter: the dairy industry is calling it the milk cliff. just like tax rates, if congress doesn't approve a farm bill by january 1st, the price of milk could go up. way up. right now an average gallon costs $3.65. it could soar to between $6 and $8. mara has three little kids. that means a lot of milk. >> you have to have it for young kids. it helps them grow. so it's hard when it gets that expensive. >> reporter: for many families, milk is a staple they can't cut back on. >> a lot of families that are tight, incomewise, they don't want to buy milk at $7, $8. >> reporter: it's not just milk prices. all dairy products would be affected. imagine if wisconsin cheddar cost more than imported french

brie. what would that mean for the average grilled cheese? one part of the complicated farm bill controls the dairy market. without it, pricing would go back to an outdated law put in place during the truman era. the government would be required to buy dairy products based on 1949 production costs when milking was done by hand. that would double today's price. >> it's a disaster. i mean, people don't really know what will happen other than it'll be just horrible. >> reporter: farmers like skip hardy in new york say it would be nice to get high prices from the government at first, but ultimately, this would kill the industry. >> what am i going to do with all this milk if all the sudden people stop buying it? >> reporter: luckily for congress, it won't happen right away. after the farm bill expires on january 1st, the department of agriculture could take weeks to put a new dairy purchase program in place. but eventually, congress will have to agree on something. >> i hope they realize that the people that vote for them are

going to be in a hard place if they don't get this solved. >> reporter: or a staple at the dinner table could soon turn into a luxury. stephanie gosk, nbc news, chicago. 7:41. now here's willie. >> thank you very much. there's an urgent threat facing an animal that may scare some of you, bats. they are dying in record numbers. nbc's tom costello tells us why and what's being done to save them. >> reporter: on a foggy morning in the hills near fort knox, a big mission to save a tiny creature. one that requires protective suits and gloves, a trek down a slippery hillside, then a belly crawl under a rock frp a steep drop into the limestone cave below. there, hanging face down on the walls, bats. lots of them. some hibernating in clusters, others alone, but all in grave danger. >> total number was a little over 5,000. >> 5,000 bats in this cave? >> reporter: this is part of a

state and federal effort to stave the bats from white nose syndrome, a fungus that's running unchecked through north america's caves, killing millions of bats and already it's in this case. >> you can see right here. you can see visible signs of the fungus on both sides of the muzzle. you can see on the forearms how it's starting to get some white. almost looks like dry skin on the forearms and the tail. >> reporter: the fungus attacks while the bats are hibernating, causing them to wake too early and burn through essential fat reserves. >> they're especially vulnerable for two reasons. one, they're at a temperature ideal for the fungus to grow. secondly, their immune system isn't up to par. >> reporter: and we need bat because they eat the insects that could devour farmer's crops. the fungus isn't a threat to humans, but already a staggering 5.5 million bats has died as the fungus has spread through 19 states and four canadian provinces.

so scientists are pulling the bats off the ceilings and cave walls. slowly, the bats wake up. on this bat, you can see the fungus is already on his nose. these are indiana bats. it's an endangered species of bats and federally protected. turns out white nose syndrome has already turned up in this population. half the bat species in north america are also vulnerable to white nose. >> this is a crisis. we're talking about potential extinction of several different species of mammals. we've never really seen a wildlife disease issue to this extreme before. >> reporter: back in a far corner of the cave working under battery powered head lamps, scientists check the bats for white dots and holes, the signs that the fungus has already attacked. >> the fungus will cause holes, cause it to scar up a lot, and it will alter their flight abilities. >> reporter: some of the bats are injected with what scientists hope is a cure, a

slow-release fungicide. fitted with tiny monitors that record their skin temperatures, they're placed in cages to be evaluated when they come out of hibernation. with a 90% mortality wait, wildlife experts are rushing to find a solution or cure to white nose one bat at a time. >> hopefully she'll survive and reproduce. there's a good chance she's pregnant right now. >> reporter: for "today," tom costello. >> tom, thank you. up next, a cheaper way to get around town. the ride sharing apps that are growing in popularity, right after this. [ singing christmas carols in background ]

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100 calories... [ chef ] ma'am [ male announcer ] progresso. you gotta taste this soup. time for citi price rewind. because your daughter really wants that pink castle thing. and you really don't want to pay more than you have to. only citi price rewind automatically searches for the lowest price. and if it finds one, you get refunded the difference. just use your citi card and register your purchase online. have a super sparkly day! ok. [ male announcer ] now all you need is a magic carriage. citi price rewind. start saving at citi.com/pricerewind. there is a new way to get around town. it's fast, easy, and cheap, like a virtual car pool. today's jenna wolf shows us how it works. >> good morning. say you're going out and about, but you don't want the hassle of driving or taking a taxi or

using public transportation. now there's an unconventional and growing trend in transportation, and it may be headed your way very soon. it may not look like it, but kara is smack in the middle of her workday. driving her own car, kara is taking complete strangers pretty much wherever they want to go around greater san francisco. she's making a buck, they're saving one. >> i'm just a regular person with a regular car. >> no cars, no cabs, no public transportation? no problem. >> can passengers see where you are? >> welcome to the new world. >> it's your friend with a car on demand. >> john zimmers, the company's co-founder. >> an interviewed driver picks you up. >> an app and a tap. within minutes, driver du jour pulls up. to make it more social,

passengers greet with a fist pump. they sit in the front seat. inevitab inevitably, they chat it up. while many of the drivers are women, the passengers are as well. >> you need to charge your phone at all? >> both driver and passenger rate the experience from one to five stars. >> everybody has been super cool. >> being social is the goal, as is being safe. so every driver must be over 24, pass a thorough background check, and own a car in good condition. the cost? a suggested donation based on distance. generally a bit less than a local taxi. >> better on your wallet. >> lift isn't the only service racing for your rides on demand dollars. but not everyone is quite on board just yet. the california public utilities commission is evaluating safety risks in a proposal to regulate the companies.

>> this is a limousine service, and the paramount concern for us is public safety. >> while regulation is in the works, demand is soaring. companies like uber have expanded to other cities, and zimmer hopes to grow lifts well beyond san francisco. innovative transportation with a twist. >> maybe you're picking up your next best friend. >> yes. >> right? >> yeah. >> so in addition to the fist pump, lift also gives its drivers a big pink mustache to hang on the front of their cars to better identify them. the trend shows no signs of slowing down. i know you use uber a lot. >> yeah, it works really well. a little different than lift, but it's a black car service. you can call it. it really works well. >> it's a really good idea. >> no pink mustaches, though. >> this is a good idea. they are background checked and go through driving tests. it's great. >> it's only san francisco now. they're hoping to spread it across the country.

>> bring it here to new york. >> thank, jenna. coming up, from shocking scandals to celebrity breakups, a look at some of the biggest stories of the year. >> all those stories and much more coming up after your local news. ♪ aww man. [ male announcer ] returns are easy with free pickup from the u.s. postal service. we'll even drop off boxes if you need them. visit usps.com pay, print, and have it picked up for free. any time of year. ♪ nice sweater. thank you. ♪ thank you.

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good morning, everyone. it's 7:56 on your friday, december 28th. a traffic alert for you right now involving a trouble spot on the roads. here's mike cremedas with your first 4 traffic. cedar lane, the left lane by the water main break is causing a bit of a delay in each direction. crews will be on the scene for a while. northbound 395 at duke street disabled vehicle quickly removed and no serious residual delays looking great at duke street. a 12 minute ride to the 14th street bridge. [ male announcer ] there are plenty of reasons to be jolly at the chevy year-end event because chevy's giving more. more efficiency with sonic and cruze... more function in equinox and traverse... more dependability with the legendary silverado... and more style in the all-new malibu.

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compared to yesterday we're having more sunshine today. temperatures will be comparable and we'll have less wind around. low to mid 40s today and the storm moves in starting at 2:00 or 3:00 a.m. in the form of snow. you see it in buoy, clinton, and foggy bottom. mcclain, you'll hold on to show and over two inches. the weekend will be turning breezy and cold on sunday, 38 your high.

8:00 now on this friday morning. it is the 28th of december, 2012. beautiful morning. just four days left in this year. a lot of folks probably in town for a little shopping, getting ready for the big new year celebration. times square will of course have its party in a couple days. good morning, everyone. i'm sa van -- savannah guthrie alongside willie geist in for matt. we'll have a look at the stories of 2012. >> it was a difficult year in many ways, but also the summer olympics brought us some happiness, some light. we're going to look back on our

month in london together. also coming up this half hour, "today's" top clicks. that old video of the goat in the elevator has been sitting atop our list now for weeks. can anyone unseat the ghost in the elevator? we'll find out coming up a little bit later. >> all right. let's get over to natalie morales with a look at the day's top stories. >> good morning, everyone. another winter storm is pushing east today while much of the midwest and northeast additidig from record snowfall. at least 16 deaths are blamed on that storm. one of the great military giants of our time has died. general norman schwarzkopf died thursday in tampa, florida, from complications from pneumonia. he was 78 years old. in 1991, schwarzkopf commanded operation desert storm, the first persian gulf war that forced iraq out of kuwait. president obama says we have lost an american original. a long-time aid to former

president george h.b. wush says he's likely to enter the new year in a houston hospital, but they want people to put the harps back in the closet. bush has been in the hospital for a series of complications. he entered intensive care on sunday. with some 90 hours to go until the fiscal cliff kicks in, president obama and top members of congress meet today at the white house, and the house will hold a rare session on sunday. but there are no signs that any proposals are taking shape that both sides can agree on. and now for a look at what is trending today, our quick roundup of what has you talking online. every day thousands of people update social media sites like facebook and twitter when they get sick. now sickweather.com is scanning those sites to help predict outbreaks of illness like the flu, letting you take your ge

germophobia. well, bravo is giving us a sneak peek inside lindsay lohan's bedroom for an upcoming episode of "million dollar decorators." they agree that the mirrored bed frame has got to go. you can see the full episode january 1st on bravo. miley cyrus' cover of dolly parton's j"joline" is going viral. she just released the sessions she did with her band over the summer. here's a listen. ♪ joline, joline, joline >> video was only posted this week, but it was shot before miley got her new distinctive pixie cut. now let's go outside for a check of the weather with maria city y

is san jose, californhere's a l what you can expect. around here it's clouds for us increasing your temperatures out there right now. they're in the thirlts but at least we'll have less wind around the area for today. noon, not bad. your temperature of 41 degrees. top out today at about 40 to 41 degrees. here's some of the areas that we're looking for snowfall tomorrow. hage hagerstown. and one to three for howarder county. for montgomery county and loudoun county. those spots north of there will see slightly higher amounts and then changing to rain by afternoon. ♪ ♪ ♪

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walmart. back now at 8:07 with today's year in review. from the olympics in london to devastating storms here at home, 2012 has been a year of triumph and tragedy. >> this morning, the moments that shaped your world as we reported them here on "today." >> the civil war in syria is worsening. >> international pressure is mounting on president bashar al assad to stop his bloody

crackdown. >> all we want is help. >> i've seen bodies on the ground. >> fear grows over the regime's potential use of chemical weapons. >> assad's army is slowly falling to pieces, but sosyria. >> breaking news, nbc news's richard engel and his crew were held captive for five days. >> it's good to be here. i'm very happy. >> a u.s. soldier accused of killing 16 civilians during a shooting spree in afghanistan. >> tell me what you believe. >> i just don't think he was involved. >> anti-american protesters attack a u.s. consulate in libya. >> the u.s. ambassador and three others are dead. >> the world needs more chris stevens. >> this is a spontaneous reaction to a video. >> it was a very obscure online movie. >> do you believe that ambassador stevens was the intended target of terrorists? >> i do. >> the white house is now classifying the deadly attack as a terrorist attack. >> i relied solely and squarely

on the information provided to me. >> escalating violence between israel and palestinians in gaza. >> the two sides exchanging rocket attacks. prvelgts the question, though, will this cease fire last? >> deadly disaster off the coast of tuscany. the costa conconcordia ran agro. >> facebook makes its much-hyped debut on wall street. the social network price dropped to a new low. if the company has a billion customers, how can they not be killing it making money? >> jpmorgan chase admitting they lost billions in trading. >> heated battle going on in washington over how to avoid the fiscal cliff. are the two sides even talking? >> the shooting death of a florida teenager by a neighborhood watch volunteer is sparking new outrage.

>> we want justice! >> under arrest, 28-year-old george zimmerman. >> he has pleaded not guilty, saying he acted in self-defense. >> it's just very difficult to live with day in and day out. >> breaking news, a mass shooting inside a suburban denver movie theater. >> a gunman walked into a showing of "the dark night rises," released some sort of gas canister and opened fire on the crowd. 12 people have been killed, 58 injured. the gunman has been identified as 24-year-old james holmes. >> you realized that john was lifeless. >> john just took a bullet for me. >> there have been so many mass shootings this year alone. >> a temple shooting outside of milwaukee. >> it's a hate crime. what did we do wrong? >> police rush to sandy hook elementary school following reports that a gunman had opened fire. >> callers indicating she thinks someone is shooting in the building.

>> 27 people killed, 20 of those young children. >> i smelled smoke then bulleted whizzed by. >> the shooter had identified as 20-year-old adam lanza, took his own life. >> evil visited this community today. >> it happened in the classrooms behind us. how could it happen there with kids so young? >> these are 20 people the week before christmas that just lost their joy. >> i'm so blessed to be her dad. >> there's appreciation for the teachers and staff who helped protect so many. >> how do you get your arms around it? >> the wave sort of just comes over you when you realize what happened. >> newtown's pain is being shared by people all across the country. >> for those of us who remain, let us find the strength to carry on. make our country worthy of their memory.

>> the outbreak of twisters blamed for at least 39 deaths in five states. >> everybody just laid their heads down. a lot of praying. >> an indiana mother lost parts of her legs while laying on top of her children to keep them safe. >> i said, you're not going to die. we're going to make it. >> massive wildfire in colorado, one of 18 fires raging in nine states. >> this is the largest fire to burn the region in the last quarter century. >> hurricane isaac hammers the gulf coast. >> we're getting hammered here now. >> getting a pounding. >> this is brutal. this is a big one. >> entire neighborhoods are under water this morning. >> hurricane sandy lashing the east coast. >> take a look at this nasa image. >> unprecedented strength making an unprecedented move. this is a storm unlike any other. >> sandy officially made landfall. >> it has come north and now hooked off to the left. we have never seen that. >> hurricane sandy has been waging a war. the ocean is now rushing in.

>> look at these waves out here. look at that surf. whoa! i think it's time to go. >> staggering entire cities and towns up and down the east coast unrecognizable in the wake of sandy. >> we need help immediately. >> everything is ruined. >> tonight we're here to raise awareness and some badly needed money to help the people. >> this is a city that was plunged into darkness. >> a massive storm. >> a crane that collapsed. >> boats have been tossed as if they were toys. >> it has flooded streets. >> the subway closed. >> gas is becoming harder and harder to find. >> i want to go home, but there's no home. >> the state of our union getting strong. we've come too far to turn back now. >> i've talked to so many

people, huge supporters in 2008. they're disappointed in you. >> this is the nature of being president. >> he seems to think america is on the right track and things are going well. >> things are truly heating up in the gop race. the attacks are flying. most of them are aimed squarely at front runner mitt romney. >> can we drop a little bit of pious bologna? >> romney enjoys firing people. >> a competitive primary does not divide us, it prepares us. >> i have decided -- >> to suspend the campaign. >> it's a lock. mitt romney secures the republican presidential nomination. >> a better america begins tonight. >> mitt romney has chosen wisconsin congressman paul ryan. >> the next vice president of the united states. >> it's all about the economy for this election. >> we can't tell you you're better off. >> osama bin laden is dead and general motors is alive! >> high-profile distractions for the republican party. >> it's a limit rape. the female body has ways to shut that whole thing down. >> that's just not true. >> i was misinformed. >> romney defending comments secretly recorded at a private

fundraiser. >> 47% of them believe they're victims. >> it's not eloquently stated. >> no one can make this country a better place. >> we can get this country working again. >> i accept your nomination for president of the united states! >> we've got so much more to do. >> governor romney, he's a good deba debater. i'm just okay. >> round one, romney. >> your entitled to your own house and airplane, but not your own facts. >> i'm going to stop the subsidy to pbs. i love big bird. >> i know you're under a lot of duress to make up for a lost round. >> that's a bunch of malarky. >> they brought us whole binders full of women. >> we have fewer ships than in 1916. governor, we also have fewer horses and bayonets. >> attacking me is not an agenda. >> the biggest battleground state of ohio. >> ohio. >> ohio is critical. >> the race could not be

tighter. >> less than 24 hours to go. what will decide this race? >> we need to take back america! >> your voice must be heard! >> critical calls. >> yes, we do. ohio, president barack obama. >> there's no what ifs anymore. >> it has gone from excited to electric. >> we are and forever will be the united states of america. >> celebrations marking the queen's diamond jubilee are in high gear. >> it's a very festive occasion. >> buckingham palace has just announced william and kate are expecting a baby. >> the news of kate's pregnancy is already a global sensation. >> hello, i'm just after my granddaughter, kate. i want to see how her tummy bug is going. >> shock and sadness. the nurse who took her life just days after taking a prank phone call. >> there is no one else

responsible for my sins. >> federal prosecutors have dropped all charges against john edwards. >> a prostitution scandal involving members of the secret service. the men had copies of president obama's exact schedule in their hotel rooms at the time. >> the surprise resignation of cia director david petraeus after he admitted to an extramarital affair. >> big news out of hollywood. brad pitt and angelina jolie's engagement. >> i just want peace. >> she cried. >> crocodile tears. >> the surprising split of seal and heidi klum. >> katie holmes to file for divorce from tom cruise. >> we're talking about "50 shades of grey." >> two of the ladies in the studio have read the book. >> that's correct. some have ordered the sequel. >> a huge honey boo boo fan right here. >> one thing is clear, she loves

to tan. >> i'm sorry. i'm tan. i like to be tan. >> viral video craze sweeping the nation. >> jerry sandusky found guilty on 45 counts of child sexual abuse. >> lance armstrong has been stripped of his seven tour de france titles and banned for life from the sport. ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ >> let the games begin. london ready to put on the biggest show on earth. >> missy franklin! >> it's a gabby gold! >> usain explodes! >> one of the most anticipated matchups of these games. what's your headline? >> ryan lochte takes over. >> so far, these games begin to

lochte. >> how do you feel about that headline? >> my talking is done in the pool. >> can lochte come up on phelps? michael phelps is going to win gold! no one has won more. >> i can look back at my career and say, i've done everything exactly the way i wanted to. >> unbelievable! >> the fab five is going gold. >> usa! >> ladies, can i say, you look really good in gold. >> congratulations. >> expectations were very high for 17-year-old missy franklin. >> it's going to be a world record for missy franklin! >> this is just absolutely incredible. >> and he's still the king of the 100! >> i came here to become a legend. i'm now a legend. >> misty and kerry. three peat olympic gold! >> the applause still rains down on oscar pistorius. >> redemption for the united

states! ♪ >> he's been waiting for this moment. >> allyson felix gets the gold! >> the london olympic games was the most watched event in american television history. >> wow. tears of sadness, tears of joy. lots to fit into one year. >> absolutely. a lot of tragedy from this year. let's hope that changes in 2013. >> i know. i think we were all watching the olympic highlights saying thank goodness there was that bright spot. it was such a hard year for so many people. we want to thank our producers

who worked so tirelessly putting that together. our editors. >> great job, you guys. beautifully done. >> back with much more on a friday morning right after this. . you have a plan? first we're gonna check our bags for free, thanks to our explorer card. then, the united club. my mother was so wrong about you. next, we get priority boarding on our flight i booked with miles. all because of the card. and me. okay, what's the plan? plan? mm-hmm. we're on vacation. there is no plan. really? [ male announcer ] the united mileageplus explorer card. the mileage card with special perks on united. get it and you're in. she gives me snickers peanut butter squared and i eat it. it's snickers with creamy peanut butter, would you like one? let's just keep an open mind. [ groans ] [ male announcer ] if you like peanut butter and chocolate, you'll love peanut butter and snickers. try snickers peanut butter squared.

you'll love peanut butter and snickers. we've decided to we're all having such a great year in the gulf, put aside our rivalry. 'cause all our states are great. and now is when the gulf gets even better. the beaches and waters couldn't be more beautiful. take a boat ride or just lay in the sun. enjoy the wildlife and natural beauty. and don't forget our amazing seafood. so come to the gulf, you'll have a great time. especially in alabama. you mean mississippi. that's florida. say louisiana or there's no dessert. brought to you by bp and all of us who call the gulf home.

yeah, our low prices are even lower. we need to teach her how to walk. she is taking up valuable cart space. aren't you, honey? [ male announcer ] it's clearance time! up to 50% off seasonal decor. 50% off toys. apparel $3 to $9. walmart. but that doesn't happen much anymore. the creative process never stops. and songwriting is so hard, but i love it. these days, i guess i just don't want to miss a thing. [ laughs ] i miss you guys. that's me. and this is my windows phone. [ male announcer ] new windows phone. reinvented around you. ♪ coming up, top clicks. your chance to vote for the favorite online videos of the week. >> there's that one elevator video. it's creepy. >> hard to beat. >> love this guy, though. >> maybe he'll be a winner. first a check of your local news and weather.

good morning. it's 8:26. i'm aaron gilchrist. the area bracing for what could be a snowy saturday. 2500 trucks with salt will hit the rods. vdot plans to use new equipment for the first time. here's veronica johnson with the forecast. >> hey, aaron. we're quiet. clouds later today. the high, 44 degrees. temperatures ridesing to where they were yesterday 37 the big story is the snow and that starts at 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning and amounts will be light. the system is in and out of here with one or two inches of

snowfall. more to the north and then switching to rain

>> looking good on 66 right now heading east. no serious problems and worry free here and an 8 minute ride

from the beltway. we'll have updates throughout the day saturday. more local news here in about 25 mi

a young dreamer. >> my weight is just holding me back. >> with a chance to make his dreams come true. >> now is the time to change my life. >> good work. >> jillian returns to "the biggest loser: challenge america." here on nbc. 8:30 now on this friday morning. it is the 28th of december, 2012. a beautiful day on rockefeller plaza. we have a happy, exuberant, and well-bundled crowd out on our plaza this morning as we head into the last weekend of the year. and we say good morning again. i'm savannah guthrie alongside

willie geist in for matt. just ahead, online viral videos. your clicks on the dancing traffic guy to the dad brought to tears by his christmas gift. what was the best online video of the week? we'll let you decide. >> i don't know if i can stand to see the ghost in the elevator for another week. it's too scary. >> four weeks running now. >> also this morning, the hobbit has already made something like $.5 billion at the box office. ann curry takes us to new zealand to show us how peter jackson and his team brought the middle earth to life. and we're going to get you ready for your new year's eve bash. we have some delicious cocktails that will really impress your guests. >> natalie was just saying how much she was looking forward to the cocktail segment. before that, we're going to get another check of the weather. we turn to maria larosa in for al this morning. >> we're tracking another system that's going to bringystem that's going to be bring stormy weather, snowy weather across

much of the country once again and as we get to tomorrow, the snow will be in through the ohio valley into the northeast and generally, one to three and there will be some spots with more. showers from the southeast to the mid-atlantic. mid section is quiet but cold. we'll see temperatures well below average once again. arctic air through the northern tier. our west, pushing snow into parts of the colorado rockies and you see the showers developing across texas by sunday. and sunshine returns from the southeast to parts of the mid-atlantic but remaining cool. again, temperatures remaining below average. the big game on sunday in d.c., it will be snow-free. around here today, is the day to get out. this weekend is going to be cold and cold enough for snow tomorrow. as a matter of fact, look for snow to start at about 2:00 a.m. or so tomorrow morning. our temperatures today, topping out at 41 to 44 degrees. it will be dry and again, until

after midnight. snow will last up until about 2:00 or 3:00 p.m. tomorrow. d.c. area, south and east and ichltd-95 corridor, leesburg, middleburg, around and that's a look at your weather. willie, back to you. >> maria, thank you. now to today's top clicks, where you get to vote for your favorite viral videos. our reigning champ, the ghostly elevator ride. yes, here it is again coming from a variety show in brazil. unsuspecting passengers get a scare when the lights flicker and when they come back on, a ghostly girl suddenly appears in the elevator. >> and she quickly disappears. >> how long has this been number one? >> weeks on end. >> it's a good video. >> three weeks, we're told. >> that is cool, actually. >> it is. >> apparently everybody likes it. this week it's up against three new choices, starting with the

traffic man. ♪ and i think it's going to be a long, long line of cars ♪ ♪ as you try to get to work on time ♪ >> that's bob herzog, the good morning cincinnati traffic guy. >> i like him. >> his friday dance party. sounds like we have a couple votes for bob. >> i love bob. i give him my vote. >> all right. click number two, you're a mean kitty, mr. grinch. >> i'm just trying to -- [ meowing ] >> the cat a little grumpy. it will not allow its owner to wrap presents. >> i have a cat just like that. >> do you? >> oh, yeah. >> lunges at you like that? >> everyone. the kids, the dogs. he's not nice. >> finally, a heartwarming holiday moment. we showed you this this week. don loved his new fedora. then the big alabama fan found

his real present. >> we going to the game! >> tears of joy. tickets to the bcs national championship game to watch his beloved alabama crimson tide take on notre dame. we talked to him on the phone the other day. said he'd never been to an alabama bowl game. he gets to go to with his son. win or lose, that's exciting. >> that's one where you want to watch the whole video. he's thrilled about his hat. he's like, i should have had this this morning. he's very thrilled about that. but when he realizes that the tin tickets are in there, he's totally overcome. >> it's really sweet. >> he doesn't stop laughing. >> do we get a vote? >> i don't think we should influence or prejudice the voting in any way. >> you're right. okay. >> i love all the videos equally. >> so "today's" top click choic choices. ghost in the elevator, traffic man, grinch kitty, and the

tickets. we'll reveal the winner next friday and put it up against three new videos. up next, ann travels to new zealand for an exclusive look at the making of "the hobbit." first, this is "today" on nbc. [ male announcer ] this commercial is not about getting fios,

it's about getting fios. that moment after you finally got it that you actually get it. the difference 100% fiber optics makes and you say "woah we are not on cable anymore." when online videos aren't herky jerky, you get it. or when a movie downloads in two minutes, you get it. [ female announcer ] switch to fios internet, tv, and phone for this amazing price online, just $79.99 a month guaranteed for two years with a two-year agreement. plus get $300 back. hurry, last chance to get this incredible deal. offer ends january 5th. fios brings you internet ranked the fastest in the nation. and unbeatable picture quality. it's 100% fiber optic, 100% different from cable. so get fios for this incredible price online, just $79.99 a month guaranteed for two years with a two-year agreement. plus get $300 back. or get this great price with no annual contract. hurry, this offer ends january 5th. go to verizon.com/holidaydeal. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities that's verizon.com/holidaydeal. at 800-974-6006 tty/v. and see why millions have switched to america's fastest, most consistent, most reliable internet -- verizon fios.

back now at 8:38. "the hobbit: an unexpected journey" opened earlier this month and set a new december box office record in the process. it's a prequel to "the lord of the rings" trilogy. ann curry recently travelled to new zealand for an exclusive behind the scenes look at how it was made. >> reporter: in "the hobbit," new zealand is once again middle earth. in the decades that peter jackson first filmed "the lord of the rings" here, it is a community transformed. home now to film makers. the nation's capital,

wellington, now known as wellingwood, hosts films like "avatar" and "king kong." >> wouldn't it have been easier for you to go to hollywood? >> we make very complicated movies. technically complicated films. these are companies that have been built by us to be able to do the films as we need to make them. if i can make films here and continue living here, i think i'm the luckiest guy in the world. >> reporter: richard taylor is a creative designer. he's worked with peter jackson for more than 25 years. taylor runs weta workshop, which creates until anything you can imagine in a movie. monsters, dwarves, and elves. he introduced us to his team of artists. >> this is jason's room. this is jason, the hit of prosthetics. >> reporter: a day in fact office can mean creating a dwarf nose, a hand, even a hobbit's

foot. >> these are going to be your feet. >> this is my cinderella moment. i'm apparently an ugly stepsister. oh, dear. maybe i should put my foot down. voila. oh, look at that. i can almost even wobble my toes. this is what life is like here. oh, good lord. they change your gait sort of. >> they do. martin had to learn to walk in them. he got lessons from the movement coach, learning to roll on the back of your heel down on to the ball of your foot. >> this is amazing. >> this is what powers the wonderment in our career. imagine coming to work and getting to make feet. >> reporter: just down the hall, the weapons department. this team created more than 200 weapons for "the hobbit." each crafted by hand. sword master, peter lyon. >> some steel, some plaster, some aluminum. this is the sort of sword that martin freeman carries. that's all steel.

>> i see. wow. how do you make them glow blue? >> that's movie magic. >> i figured. >> reporter: even as weta workshop's artists work to bring the characters to life, scouts traverse the country in search of perfect locations to shoot the film. >> we're heading up into the -- >> reporter: a long-time scout for peter jackson's movies. >> oh, my goodness. look at that. very dramatic. now, this definitely feels like middle earth. >> reporter: these mountains play a key role at the end of "the hobbit." they're just one of many locations in the film. >> this is a very critical part of the movie because it's the point in which they go up into the mystic mountains. how many people did you bring in here? >> they would have had 150 up here. >> really? >> we have all the basic people here as well. >> cameras right here. where was food services?

>> off in the background. >> bathrooms. >> constantly moving. >> reporter: there are great challenges shooting in these remote locations. but it's worth it for its breathtaking beauty. >> we came through the whole belly through here. so to find landscapes where the dwarves are forced out of their homes and there's nowhere to go. peter wanted this amazing wild landscape with nothing around but vast emptiness. >> this is it. man, you're looking at this deep river valley. there's a real feeling of really an epic moment. >> yeah, beautiful here. >> reporter: an epic moment from what may well be another epic peter jackson trilogy. new zealand's beauty. its artistry and craftsmanship on full display as tolken's work is brought to life once again.

>> and that was ann curry report reporting from new zealand. still ahead, the great debate over when to take down your christmas tree. first, this is "today" on nbc.

"today's" american story with bob dawson comes from reedsville, north carolina, home to one of the most popular people on the internet. not an entertainer or sports star, just an ordinary guy who made a little boy's dream come true. >> 6-year-old andrew keys has a love affair with cars. it began when he was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor. his greatest comfort was the sound of this barefoot voice. >> hey, everybody. how's it going? today i bring you a 2007 honda civic hybrid. >> andrew wasn't the only one

listening. >> four-wheel drive transfer case. >> in the past three years, those reviews have been seen more than 100 million times on youtube. the person behind that voice is not who you'd expect. he sells neither cars nor himself. in fact, he seldom appears on camera. that's because he's busy with his day job. the 23-year-old is a scientist studying full-time for his doctorate in pharmacy. >> hello. how are you? >> good. how are you? >> kyle started his car reviews to relieve the stress of college. >> did you just stumble into this? >> kind of sort of, actually. >> during a break from his studies, he decided to make a random car video. >> so just going to start her up, let her run. >> a bumper-to-bumper tour demonstrating everything. >> it's almost like a little car

encyclopedia in a video format. >> his hobby got a bit out of hand. at first, kyle did nearly one a day. 1500 so far. no-nonsense, sales-free examinations of practically anything with wheels and an engine. his mom began to worry. >> i thought it was the biggest waste of time. >> but his dad knows winners aren't always the most obvious. bill lindsay played eight months with the chicago white sox after nine years of trying. that's how kyle learned the small print in dreams. >> when he starts something, he finishes it, and he's not happy until it's perfect. >> he accepts no money from the car industry, but the folks at youtube started selling ads with his reviews. >> as the name suggests, the grand torismo --

>> now his part-time hobby pays him six figures. enough to buy four cars. what does a man who's seen everything prefer to drive? >> my real heart, my real passion it for the classics. >> like the '48 ford his grandparents built with love. >> that's okay. shift. >> he's teaching his girlfriend how to drive one just like it. on that first date, he picked her up in a hyundai. >> i guess he can tell you about how hyundai has been a lot better now. >> so is kyle. he's making more than most pharmacists. so does he still plan to wear a white coat and count pills? the little boy with the brain tumor helped him decide. last summer, andrew's mom told him -- >> you have a wish, what would

you want in the whole wide world? >> to watch kyle tape a review. >> i'm not going to. >> how come? >> just because. i know they're going to be too expensive for me. >> but this dream came true. >> push the button. >> his family traveled 600 miles from their home in detroit so he could meet the man who eased his pain. >> andrew's wish was given to him at a time when we didn't know if he would survive. >> by year's end, he was cancer free. kyle will continue studying to be a pharmacist. his enthusiasm and deep knowledge have already filled one little boy's prescription for recovery. for "today," bob dotson, nbc news, with an american story in reedsville, north carolina.

>> good to see that little guy happy and healthy. still ahead this morning, five ways to keep your new year's resolutions. you're going to do it this year. first, this is "today" on nbc.

we are back with our good friend len berman. we're doing the world outside. it's a great crowd.

we wanted to see your highlights. >> and it's the entire year. the whole year. >> wow. >> get ready. >> 2012 featured the champion giants in both football and baseball and the london olympics. what were truly the top sports stories the last 12 months? let's go spanning the world. >> unbelievable! >> yeah. >> on your mark, get set, and -- oh, run off the field. that's a case of one strike and you're out. >> play ball. the estonian basketball league. that should be worth four or five points. >> our oops of the year. this is pro bowler josh

blanchard on the lanes. in new jersey, junior hockey. you score a goal, and you go jump into the glass. no, not through it. one large guy, one trampoline in atlanta. and you knew that wasn't going to work, right? at the australian road rally. make a wrong turn and nobody got hurt. the best moves of the year. in russia, there he goes. wait a second. what is that? no, it's the old puck on a string trick. that works perfect. and the cincinnati band member who stumbles down the steps and breaks his trumpet. there's his mouthpiece. but in true show biz fashion, he played the air trumpet. soldier on. the worst moves of the year. the thai kick boxer. he goes with the kick and the miss. and he knocks himself out. yeah, that's it. you're out of there. and you love this look, don't you? the goofball in a mankini. >> oh, my eyes!

ow! >> i like that. the chinese hurdler trying to qualify for the olympics. you know, i'm guessing he didn't make it. i don't know what the rules are over there. oh, and brazil can throw down. you have to feel sorry for a man who gets a little behind. >> i remember that one. >> i have some rules questions. can you legally pass it to the referee in the nba? i think you can. are wet willies allows in the nba? just curious. oh, did you know texting while sitting courtside is a deadly combination? that doesn't work. soccer moments of 2012. in israel, the goalie kicks it high into the wind. that's not a good idea. in brazil, the save is made by the ball boy in the orange shirt, who sneaks on to the field. he thought nobody would notice. and in iran, the players thought it would be nice to pick up a loose object, so he tosses it away. turns out it was a live grenade.

oh, well. our premature exhilaration of the year. ricardo russo in italy celebrating his win. way to go. except for one minor detail. there was one lap to go. he finished 14th. our rabbit ears of the year in daytona. the music intern playing "three blind mice" for the umpires. not amused. throws the music guy out of the game. you're out of here. and here's our shot of the year. michael phelps decided to take up golf. he had this little gimme putt in scotland. ♪ >> wow. >> seriously? crazy. >> that's just not fair. he can't be good at everything. >> he has to be our athlete of the year. is there anything he can't do? >> he's incredible. >> clearly he should try golf next. >> thank you, lenny.

>> never seen an organist thrown out of a game before. >> everybody, three cheers for lenny. coming up next, "today's" take three. good morning, it's 8:56 on friday, december 28th. i'm aaron gilchrist. get ready for another blast of wiptry weather and another storm making its way here. veronica johnson is tracking it. v.j. >> that snow will start falling

around 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning. not bad day outside. the low to mid 40s. a lot less wind around can area. winter weather advisory shaded in purple. frederick and all the way to washington county and frederick county, virginia, so slippery conditions as these locations will get between two and four everyoneless of snow by

southbound 355 at cedar lane and left lane getting by due to the water main break. crews are on the scene for a while. worry free on the outer loop of the beltway and prince george's county looking good. aaron? into thanks, mike. tune in tomorrow

we are back now with more of "today" on this friday morning. it's the 28th of december, 2012. we have a great crowd. a birthday girl here on the plaza. they're happy. they're bundled up. they're smiling. they're getting ready to party as new year's eve is almost upon us. we say good morning to them. i'm savannah guthrie alongside willie geist in for matt. have you made any new year's resolutions? >> not yet. i never finish them. what's the point? >> we're going to give you advice on how to best keep your new year's resolutions. a lot of us have them.

keeping them is the tricky part. some people, i'm told, like to have a drink or two on new year's eve. we're going to give you some special drinks, new cocktails you may want to sample yourself on monday night. and in "today's" take three, something a lot of people may be grappling with, when to take down the christmas tree. some people say wait until after the new year. some people say immediately. >> some people say it's good luck to do it on certain days or bad luck to wait too long. >> the needles are starting to fall off. >> well, you have to water it. >> oh. >> yes, details. let's get over to natalie morales with a check of today's top stories. good morning. >> good morning, savannah and willie. good morning, everyone. another winter storm is pushing east today while much of the northeast and midwest digs out from thursday's storm that left arkansas with a record snowfall and 200,000 customers without electricity. at least 16 deaths are blamed on that storm. a long-time aide to former

president george h.w. bush says he's likely to enter the new year in a hospital. bush, who is 88, has been in the hospital since november for bronchitis and a series of complications. he entered intensive care on sunday. one of the great military giants of our time has died. general norman schwarzkopf died thursday in tampa, florida, from complications of pneumonia. he commanded operation desert storm, the first persian gulf war that forced iraq out of kuwait. president obama says we have lost an american original. well, with some 90 hours to go until the fiscal cliff kicks in, president obama and top members of congress meet today at the white house, and the house is holding a rare session on sunday. but there are no signs that any proposals are taking shape that both sides can agree on. heartbreak for many americans now banned from adopting russian children. this morning, president vladimir putin signed a bill that blocks

russian children from leaving the country, even if u.s. families have already started the process of adopting them. the ban appears to be in re retaliation for u.s. criticism of russia's human rights record. it's back to work for hillary clinton after being sidelined due to a concussion. she hit her head earlier this month after a stomach virus caused her to faint. overseas travel will remain off the table for several more weeks. a woman has been arrested suspected of running a fraudulent fundraising scheme to profit off the sandy hook shooting tragedy. the 37-year-old was charged with lying to the fbi agents investigating the alleged scam. she spoke off camera earlier this month with our own jeff rossen. the uncle of 6-year-old shooting victim noah posner found a post online requesting donations to a personal paypal account.

a complaint filed against alba claims she used text messages and phone calls. out with the old and in with the new. the first thing that's got to go are some annoying words from this year. according to their annual survey on the subject, the poll finds that twitterverse is fifth most annoying word of 2012. other cringe worthy mentions are a bit more classic. just saying, you know, like, all taking the top spots f. for the fourth year running, whatever. we're guessing they'll be back next year. they are truly annoying. finally, if you're heading back to the stores to return unwanted gifts, maybe you should take this guy with you. this tiny poodle may not have presents to return, but he sure seems to enjoy going along for the trip. a little bit kind of like "gangnam style." i think he's got that horsey dance going. now you just need the music and

it would work. all right. four minutes after the hour. let's go back outside to maria larosa with a check of the weather. >> good morning, natalie. we have some great hats here on the plaza. we have exhibit a. we're opting not to put this on. you opt for the head band. why not put this on? >> it's too small with my head band on. >> fair enough. very cute. definitely needed for some of the chillier weather we're seeing in the northeast this morning. we're focus on some of the wintry weather headed our way. at winter storm. pink, freezing rain advisories, little rock welcome a little bit ago, fortunately and arkansas is under blizzard warnings a few day as go but the snow is moving out of the mid south ohio valley late tonight. going forward from ohio into western pennsylvania developing into a washington, d.c. as we get to overnight tonight and pushing to philadelphia, new york by tomorrow morning and then into boston as we get to the mid day on saturday. quick moving in and out of here. just enough to give a general one to three inches across the area. here's a look at what you can

expect. snow develops to the west about 2:00 o'3:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. saturday morning. today, get out and enjoy! temperature right now is 38 with high clouds. the wind chill rating at 30. your afternoon we'll see highs today 38 to 43. clouds increasing and continued cool for today. here's a look at the snowfall that we're expecting in the white. up to the north, hagerstown, frederick and westminster, two that's a look at your two weather. willie, back to you. >> look at that face. >> all together now, awww. maria, thank you. now to "today's" take three. we discuss some of the topics that have you talking. this time of year, after christmas, between new year's, we start to wonder, when is it time to take down the decorations, take down the tree? the number one answer on app today.com poll is 41% say by

january 6, after 12 days of christmas. new year's eve is second with 45%. >> i'm with the january 6th. buy me a little more time. >> we always did new year's day. just whenever i get sick of it i take it down. >> 17% say day after christmas. >> at some point, your hand is forced. when the needles start to shed. >> when the fire marshal comes and says it's a fire hazard. >> there are superstitions. people feel if you don't take it down right away or after christmas or right after new year's, you're dragging your old into the new year. the old baggage. got to get rid of the garbage. >> i'm bringing my baggage into the new year, tree or no tree. dried out or not. >> speaking of the new year, our take two new year's eve traditions and superstitions. we're talking about taking the tree down. let's talk new year's eve. traditions around the world include central and south america, a lot of people wear special underwear to ring in the new year.

>> in brazil, they wear white and brand new underwear. i guess you want to start things off right. start fresh. >> i can sign on to this tradition. okay. don't get a close-up on me. i'm for new underwear. okay. what else? >> let's go to denmark, perhaps. people jump off chairs in unison at midnight. that's to rid people of negative spirits from the previous year. >> all right. >> good one. >> spain, natalie, you know about this one. we're going to show it. >> we're going to demo. it sounds easy to eat 12 grapes. it is not easy. >> do we have the chimes? >> we're going to do it. so 30 seconds on the clock, please. >> this should go well. >> are we going to hear this? [ chiming ]

>> you can't even get them in your mouth. oh, my -- good work. >> thank you. this is what happens when you've been pounding campaign all night. you can't deliver a grape into your mouth at close range. >> i'm dead sober. how do they do this drunk? >> you littered the floor with grapes. >> i'm sorry. >> they did those chimes too fast. >> those were very fast. >> that was very fun. >> you missed your mouth by half an inch. you couldn't make the transaction. amazing. >> how was your grape eating? >> you have to make one. yes! it's in there. >> i started laughing looking at

everybody. >> it's fun. >> this is my new tradition. new underwear and grape eating. >> not for kids. >> exactly. >> now i have a little game for you guys. this is going to make you feel really smart as you enter the new year. increase your intelligence. >> as if i don't feel dumb enough. >> it's called "what is it called?" okay. this right here has a name. this little sleeve. it's not a sleeve. what goes around your coffee cup? >> the coffee holder. that's the cup. >> it's a sleeve. >> no, you're wrong. >> it's a narf. >> how is that spelled? >> n-a-r -- sorry, zarf. >> do we know anything about that? it's a sleeve. we all know it is. >> okay. somewhere on this bottle of wine -- >> explains a lot. it's empty. >> is a punt.

>> a punt? >> think about it. come on, willie. football. you played football, right? >> yes. >> punt. >> right under here. >> yay, ding, ding, ding. sound effects, all right. it is the indentation on the bottom of the wine. what is this thing called? >> foot measurer. >> shoe/foot measurer device. >> if you read right here, it says genuine branic device. now you know. apparently it's the only one in the world that they -- it's the scale everybody uses to measure everybody's feet. >> cornered the market. >> number four. are you ready? >> yes. >> you have to demo this as well. it would help if they took the toothbrushes out. we need the toothbrushes to be opened. i want you guys to demo for me a nerdle. >> that doesn't sound attractive. >> is this involved?

>> to demonstrate a nerdle? >> it is, of course -- >> obviously, it's when you brush your friend's teeth. i don't know. >> you can't even get a grape in your own mouth. is that a nerdle? >> do we need toothpaste? >> it's a little swish when you put the toothpaste on. >> you said no. >> i'm not going to give it all away. it's a small amount of toothpaste. we're learning something new every day. >> think of how popular you'll be at your new year's party with these facts. >> and your grapes. >> this one goes back to biology. what is on your body a glabella? careful, willie. would you like it in a sentence? >> yes, i would.

is it latin, spanish, french? let's turn the tables on you. >> it's on the body. >> can you use it in a sentence? >> i will not use it in a sentence because that would give it away. >> glabella. >> it's right below the epiglottis. some people have hair. i don't know. w i'm afraid to ask. >> no. it is the spot -- not that spot. this spot. this spot right here. >> oh, good. >> the spot in between your e eyebrows and your nose. >> my glabella is permanently wrinkled. >> that is educational. >> zarf, quickly. >> it's this. all right. jonathan is an 11-year-old drummer, enjoys exploring the

p p percussive sounds of household appliances. check this out. okay. so he's 10 years old when he posted the video in september. he's taken drum lessons but says he's basically self-taught. he thinks the washing machine is easier to play than his own drum kit. sounds like a college marching band. he's really good. >> you want to demo? who's really good at percussion? you play the guitar. >> i've done enough in this segment to embarrass myself. i think we should do phil collins "in the air tonight" drum solo. >> while they do that, i'm going to tell you that up next we've got five ways to actually keep your new year's resolution in

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[ female announcer ] tell us... what will you gain when you lose? this morning on new year, new year, will 2013 be your year to get fit and eat right? we have five tips to keep your resolutions on track. dr. raj, great to see you. >> you too. >> i love your overriding theme, which is take baby steps. if you shoot too high, you're never going to do it. >> exactly. you don't want to be overambitious because you're setting yourself up for disappointment. there is an opportunity here to make real health changes, which is great, but you want to achieve them. so go slowly. don't say i'm going to lose 50 pounds or 100 pounds because that's not going to happen quickly. stagger your goals, make them

achievable. >> you do the 50-pound thing, and you get discouraged. you say to take advantage of technology. >> these days there's an app for everything. there's definitely happens to help you lose weight, exercise. there's one called lose it, which helps you set your weight loss goals. tells you how many calories you should be consuming every day and helps you track when you're eating. you can scan the bar code if you're in a supermarket and find out how many calories. there's another one called fooducate, like educate. if you're going for the potato chips, you can scan it, it will give you a healthier alternative. >> they make it pretty easy now. you also talk about practical goals. >> you have to know yourself. you have to know, what are the practicalities of your day to day life? if your goal is to exercise every evening but you know you have kids to watch, you have to make a plan for that. maybe your husband can watch them for an extra hour or get a babysitter for that time. anticipate the roadblocks and deal with them. if you don't, you're just going

to be discouraged and lose faith. >> your next tip jumped out at me. beware of the company you keep. are you suggesting we shed a few people in our lives? >> i'm not saying drop your old friends, but studies have shown if you are hanging out with unhealthy people who have unhealthy behaviors, you're more prone to do that yourself. try to find some healthy people to be friends with. a peer group, a gym is a great way to meet some healthy friends. then you're going to be more motivated. you'll be talking to them about healthy recipes or a fun new exercise. it's overall going to elevate you and keep you on track. >> so blow off the old friends. >> don't blow them off. add a few healthy ones. >> and finally, have fun with it. >> if it's a chore, chances are, we're not going to do it. there are fun ways to be healthy. if you don't like being on the treadmill, find a dance class that's more fun or exercise with a friend, go for a walk. don't -- you know, you don't have to have wheat germ every day. you can find a recipe that's

tasty and you enjoy. you're much more likely to stick to your goals. >> all right. baby steps it is. dr. raj, great to see you. >> thank you. still ahead, lively center pieces for your new year's table that will live on well into 2013. first, these messages. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [ female announcer ] nothing gets you going quite like the power of quaker oats. today is going to be epic. quaker up.

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than the leading value brand. well done, angels! stronger, holds up better... all wrapped up in a value you love. new angel soft®. now stronger than ever. like us, you may all be missing al, but not to worry. this weekend's cover of "parade" magazine, boom. >> look at al. he looks great there. >> he looks fabulous. >> he has a new book out called "never going back: winning the weight loss for good." al talks about his struggle and what it took to pull him out of a funk. >> two keys, of course, motivation from his family and never going anywhere without his scale. in london, i think he's the only guy who lost weight at the olympics. he was taking his scale and riding his bike everywhere. he makes -- it's a full-on commitment. it's a lifestyle change for al. you know, he lives it every day.

>> he's vigilant about it. he's killing that three-piece suit. >> sure is. check out the article this weekend. we'll be back with more after this. [ gwen ] i used to sleep on the tour bus between shows. but that doesn't happen much anymore. the creative process never stops. and songwriting is so hard, but i love it. these days, i guess i just don't want to miss a thing. [ laughs ] i miss you guys. that's me. and this is my windows phone. [ male announcer ] new windows phone. reinvented around you. ♪ red jars are all the same right? wrong! you need three uses of a $15 cream to equal the moisturizing power of one use of regenerist microsculpting cream. seems not all red jars are created equal. olay regenerist. then i read an article about a study that looked at the long term health benefits of taking multivitamins. they used centrum silver for the study...

so i guess my wife was right. [ male announcer ] centrum. always your most complete. good morning. it's 9:26 on your friday, december 28th. i'm aaron gilchrist. more snow on the way. storm team four meteorologist veronica johnson joins us with details. >> first, today, aaron, a little sunshine will be nice. southern indiana and illinois and ohio and around

southbound 355 at cedar lane and the left lane is getting by the water main work and it's causing a delay in each direction. crews are on the scene for a

while on the beltway, good on the outer loop making the trip toward the wilson bridge. worry free

back now with a look at that beautiful 80-foot norway spruce lighting up rockefeller plaza. a lot of people in town to spend time around that tree. enjoy it while you can. not going to be up much longer. i'm willie geist along with natalie morales, erica hill, and maria larosa. just ahead, we're going to check out the gadgets and gizmos that stood out in 2012, including the swiss army knife of bartending. >> really? okay. interesting. plus, everything you need to throw for the ultimate new year's eve party, including creative cocktails to homemade center pieces that go beyond simple flowers and candles.

>> all right. sounds good. first, erica, you have a preview of what's coming up this weekend. >> indeed, i do. we will be keeping a close eye on the fiscal cliff negotiations as that clock ticks closer to january 1st. also, "mad" magazine celebrating its 60th anniversary. how its biting humor and scathing satire have given them their staying power. plus, a little visit to the barefoot conetessa's kitchen. how she entertains over the holidays and how she's spending her new year's. >> i think that's my dream, to have a dinner party at her house. have her cook. >> she's lovely. we see her here sometimes. just as lovely at her home. >> you call it a visit. it's more like a pilgrimage when you go to her kitchen. >> they had to kick me out the door. >> i wouldn't want to leave either. erica, thank you. now to maria with a check of the weather. a lot of people expecting snow.

>> the same places that saw the snow the last go around. we're not going to see the intensity or quite see the intensity or the quite the amount but nonetheless a busy travel day and the snow will stretch from the ohio valley to the northeast including washington, d.c., philadelphia, new york, boston, and showers and storms across the southeast. the mid section, a chance to dry out, calm down a little bit but it will be chilly with cold temperatures below average and unsettled across the west coast and by sunday, some snow showers through the rockies and lingering snow showers in parts of the area. we've got 38 degrees. lots of high clouds across the area. wind chill readings at 30 degrees. been there for the last couple of hours. this is really more of a new answer is type of storm for us. it's not going to be awe major storm at all. the areas under the winter weather advisory where the show will stick a while longer.

up to two to four inches in frederick, and sunday is football night in america. this is a big one, guys. we have the cowboys and the redskins at the redskins' fedex field. increasing clouds. temperatures into the 30s. of course, this is for the nfc east championship and a chance for home field advantage. so go cowboys, go redskins. at least the weather is going to cooperate. >> you can't choose both. >> i can. >> she's smart. she knows chose two teams are die hard. >> great night sunday night on nbc. maria, thanks so much. coming up, how to make new year's eve center pieces that will last you well into the new year. oh, my. what's going on there? >> i'll take two, please. >> wow. not sure what to make of that. first, these messages. an't belie it's finally here! [ woman #2 ] it's the real deal! [ man #1 ] turn it around! turn it around! [ woman #1 ] over here! over here! [ woman #2 ] turn around! turn around! [ woman #1 ] i love you! i can't believe it's not butter! neither can i. turn the tub around! show us the back! [ man #1 ] turn the tub around!

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♪ [ female announcer ] nothing gets you going quite like the power of quaker oats. today is going to be epic. quaker up. [ male announcer ] every time you say no to a cigarette you celebrate a little win. nicorette gum helps calm your cravings and makes you less irritable. quit one cigarette at a time.

this morning on "today," celebrates the holidays, creative center pieces that will live on long after your new year's eve holiday. good morning. >> good morning. >> i love this theme here. it's a winter wonderland. what's great about this is you say all of these elements can be reused throughout the year. >> everything i used in all these center pieces, either you could give to your guest as a memento of the evening or use it the rest of the year. everything is less than $100. it's about repurposing and getting creative. it's fun. >> tell me about what you get started out with. >> start with a base. i thought these were so fun from z gallery. these are mirrored place mats. i just pushed them together. you get that glamorous mirror. i added these dwell antelopes, which are so pretty. these could be on your book shelf the rest of the year. clustered together, creating

different heights and varieties. this ballard designs hurricane holder, invaluable all year long. look how fun it is. >> where did you get these? these are cool. >> these are fun. a lot of local florists have these. they're battery operated. >> oh, great. >> i have these in my house all year long on a timer. at night they come on. >> very elegant. >> really special and festive. >> okay. over here you've created a sophisticated kids' table. they want to have fun too. >> get your kids involved. again, have them help make this. this is a tray that would be helpful all year long for breakfast in bed. when you combine fun things like these urban outfitter trolls -- >> cute. >> these are votive holders from one king's lane. super chic. however, i thought have the kids fill them with candy. that makes it fun, keeps them busy been i added marbles and card games. i thought that was fun. then these are gummy lights. gummy bear lights from urban

outfitters. again, these are almost like in lieu of flowers, but you have that center focus and build around it. >> fun. great kids table. they can take the marbles or cards holmes wime with them. >> exact lly. >> over here, this is our natural table. >> again, it all starts with as by. i love this runner. this is only $88 from anthropology. you set it down, it instantly sets the mood. you could use this in july. this bowl to me is so beautiful. this is from zee gallery. this is under $100. this would look great anywhere in your house. when you combine it with this beautiful runner, and i took these westhome vases and dressed them up with tulips. these are from a supermarket. if you take a whole bunch, again, more is more. put them in there. it's the unexpected. it makes it look just fun and festive. >> this looks very spring here too. >> it does. or it could be, you know, again for new year's, any time of the

year. >> very fresh. >> it's combining the unexpected to make it festive and fun. >> okay. last but not least, this is table that keeps giving. >> this keeps on giving. i think it's fun to have the center piece also be gifts for guests. so the first thing i thought it for the host memento, this is a monogrammed tray. it says happy 2013. >> this can be there year round. >> exactly. fun to have a bunch of them. this can be in your center. then i love the idea of these mint julip cups. i monogram them for each guest. they don't have to be. filling them with supermarket roses instantly looks festive. these are a great investment. they're only $25. i use these all year round. >> what's with the pictures? >> okay. you're invited to my party. this is an idea, again, as a guest gift. these are place cards. so take pictures. you know, you have pictures -- >> make sure it's a flattering picture. >> no bad pictures of you. i'm sorry. you look gorgeous. i thought what is fun is you put the pictures of your guests.

this acts as a place card, and they can take it home. >> that's a great idea. i love it. susanna, thank you so much. great ideas. happy new year. coming up next, from speakers to hard to break wine glasses, the hottest gear of the year right after this. we get cats. they are smart. they can outsmart their humans.. ...and their canines. so they deserve a smart choice in litter. we make fresh step scoopable with carbon. because carbon has tons of tiny pores that are trapping and eliminating odors. fresh step, your cat deserves the best. try new fresh step lasting power for extended odor control.

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back now with the best of the best in 2012 in gadgets. jesse will is here with a few products that stood out this year. good morning. good to see you. >> good morning. good to see you, willie. >> let's start with the camp stove. why was this so big this year? >> if you've been paying attention to this stuff, if you're a backpacker, the thing that's happening here is backpackers are really upping their culinary game. >> really? >> dehydrated food is not cutting it anymore. this is a stove by jet boil. it's called the sumo. it boils about 1.8 liters of water in less than three minutes. so super fast. really, really some cool stuff you can do with that. >> and the whole device is stored in here so you can pack it into a backpack. >> it's like russian nesting i dolls almost. >> okay. tell me about the smart

notebook. >> this is a collaboration of moleskin notebooks and evernote, a note taking app. what you can do is take notes, do drawings, whatever. use the evernote app. take a photo of it. it digitizes your notes. >> just off the photograph? >> just off the photograph. it will also -- it'll know what you wrote. you can search it later. pretty cool. >> very cool. wireless speakers are big. i just got one of these for christmas from my wife. it's changed my life. they're amazing. good sound, even at this size. >> right. 2012 was the year of the bluetooth speaker. a couple great ones. you have one by bose that's awesome. this one is actually from jbl. it's a little cheaper at $60. we were just impressed at the pretty good bass sound that comes out of this. you can get it in four colors. again, only $60. doesn't take up any room in your backpack or carry on. >> can we hear it? >> we can try. let's do it.

>> now i've called into your collection. >> it works. >> there we go. that's good. >> good quality. >> all right. we'll shut that off. now shatter proof wine glasses. very important around this time of year. >> almost shatter proof. it is that time of year. almost shatter proof wine glasses. this is by a company called ion strong. it's japanese crystal stemware. it's 1.5 times the strength of traditional glassware. >> may i? >> do it. >> there we go. >> i don't know how rowdy it gets at your house. >> you don't want to test it too much. but they work. >> we did toss one of these champagne glasses in the office and did get it to break. it's not break proof. >> but you had to fire it against the wall. >> we had to fire it against the wall. >> hopefully none of your guests are doing this that holiday season. i love this thing. it's the swiss army knife of bartending. >> this is called the bartender. it's $50. it's a ten-in-one tool.

it has everything from a strainer to a citrus peeler to a stirrer. i feel like -- >> measure out your shots. >> edward bartender hands. >> we should drink. i like the way you think. >> i'm just going to pretend we need to measure this. >> what are we drinking, by the way? >> this is a whiskey and ginger ale. >> i'll take that. it's never too early on the "today" show. usually it's for the 10:00 hour. >> should we skip the ginger ale? >> while i sip this, tell me about this scale over here. >> all right. fitness tracking, as you just talked about, is huge this year. some of the best ways to kind of boost your fitness is to track how many miles you're going, how much weight you have to lose. this is a scale that has bluetooth, and it syncs with an app so when you step on the scale, it records your weight. it tracks your weight for you.

what you can get it to do is actually tweet how much you weigh. >> let me ask you, why in the world would you want to tweet out how much you weigh? >> well, some people might need the extra motivation to lose that weight. for guys like you and me, we would just be saying, you know, this weekend i gained five pounds of muscle, right? >> exactly. >> so we want everybody to know that. >> nothing like a little public shaming. great stuff. thank you. up next, more drinking, apparently. tasty cocktails to serve at your new year's eve bash. first, this is "today" on nbc.

this morning on "today" celebrates 2013, toasting the new year. whether you're hosting a large new year's eve party or a more intimate gathering, you can show off your bartending skills. >> here to show us how, mixologist jason litrell.

general rules. what are we talking about? >> make sure everybody has something. >> yeah. >> we'll get to the punch later. you know, i was to understand your favorite drink is a bourbon and ginger. >> i do. i like bourbon on the rocks. sometimes i'll splash it with ginger ale. you have a fancy version for me. >> kind of like the ferrari of bourbon and ginger ale. >> just for you, willie. you get the ferrari, the sports car. >> actually, it's my day off. you're going to have to make it. i'm sorry. this is fresh lime juice right here. it's about three-quarters of an ounce. >> that's a guy drink. i want the girl drink. >> so about three-quarters of an ounce of lime juice. this is fresh ginger serve with ginger and sugar, basically. this is your morning, so you tell us how much bourbon you'd like. >> we'll just have a little for the purposes of television. we'll have reality later. tell me about the orange peel. >> it's a garnish called a horse's neck. it just adds a lot of aromatic

orange oils. then top it off with a little soda. again, it's your drink. you can do whatever you want. >> he likes it strong, i guess. >> this is what it looks like it when's done. >> i'm going to try a done one. >> i'm not a bourbon kind of girl, but that's refreshing. >> perhaps you haven't had it the right way. >> i like it that way. now, if you're somebody who's watching your weight, watching the calories, especially as you ring in the new year, here's a drink for those out there. what are you going to make for us? vodka cranberry take? >> sure. it's in the ballpark of less than 150 calories. so something that's easy to drink. take your bottle right here. >> am i working this one? >> i told you, it's my day off. >> okay. day off. i don't know how much -- i haven't had vodka in a long time. >> then top it off with some cranberry. >> they're like, yeah, uh-huh. i don't. i drink wine. this is cranberry. >> it's pomegranate, actually.

>> healthier that way, right? >> just to lower the calories a little more, we're going to sweeten it up with a little agave nectar. that's a natural sugar. >> does cranberry not have enough sweetener in it? >> it's a little tart. then that's it. >> then a little soda and a lime? >> then garnish it with your lemon. >> see what you think, natalie. >> that actually could use more vodka. a little light on the vodka. it's friday. >> now, what are we making for the group back here? everybody can dip in here. >> you definitely want to have -- if you guys notice, we have these spice packets. i was going to have you make these. >> you're using white wine. >> it's traditionally made with red wine. today we're going to make it with a white wine. it's something -- put some cloves, black pepper, and cinnamon is already in there. >> okay. that's a lot of that. you know what? it's new year's eve. let's go for it.

>> a lot of black pepper. >> you did make your own first drink. >> okay. and a good bottle of white. a dry white? or sweet white? does it matter? >> stick to the drier side. it's going on the base of a simple syrup. while you're figuring out how to tie that, which you're doing a great job, by the way. >> 30 seconds to go. so you're going to let this go how long? >> this is going to sit around for about 30 minutes. pardon me. i'm going to grab this vanilla. >> then serve it up nice and warm in a crock pot. >> yep. >> beautiful. >> jason, thank you. happy new year. kathy lee and hoda, this is a segment for them. >> it is. [ male announcer ] there are plenty of reasons to be jolly

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chevy's giving more. this holiday season, get a 2013 cruze ls for around $149 per month or get $500 holiday bonus cash. 9:57 on your december 28th, i'm aaron gilchrist. the area bracing for what could be a snowy saturday. 2500 trucks will salt the roads in maryland ahead of tomorrow's winter storm. vdot will make plans and ddot makes plans to use new equipment. if you like snow you'll want to get out early in the day tomorrow. the show will develop between 2:00 and 4:00 achl tomorrow

morning. but it will start to mix with rain and snow around 10:00 and change over to rain. we're at 38 degrees right now. the areas that favor staying all snow will be to the north and west. in the blue and white. mike? southbound 355, cedar lane, a live look. northbound 395, worry-free as you head towards the district. the 14th bridge looks good. a 12-minute ride.

hello, everybody. we're so happy to have you you here. hoda is going to do something on new year's eve, aren't you? >> yes. i don't know what it's going to be, but i'm going to do something. >> we're not telling you. >> have you ever been so sick and tired of your life that you wish you you could just get in the car -- >> you're asking me this year? >> -- and drive away.

you're at the grocery store, you're over it your kids are crying, you don't have the money for the bills. >> instead of runaway bride, you're a runaway mother or person. >> this one mom was tired of it, she had had a rough go of it, and she decided that she was going to -- she was grocery shopping and she'd had enough. she took some cash, put away her cell phone and made a break for it. she drove to orlando from her place i think in pennsylvania. she drove away. >> that's a long way. >> here's the bad part. she didn't tell her family. >> that's the point. she was sick of shopping and cleaning and runny noses. >> here's the thing. don't put your family through that. can you imagine? and the taxpayers by the way calling the police, missing person reports, everything else. i wonder if she'll be held accountable. >> she may. but i understand the thing about you shouldn't do it and all that

stuff, but everyone's had it in their head where you wish you could -- >> go to an island. >> put your life in the rear view mirror and just go away. >> of course. because life is hard. and life is heavy. and bad enough with your own life. when you start producing your family's problems and friend's problems. honestly this past year, i don't know one person who hasn't faced something really difficult. between the election and the nastiness of that, along with the storms that we had. so many people battling cancer. that's so much more prevalent. you know what i'm saying? seems like everybody has had a rough year. so, yes -- >> we get it. you want to get away. >> no one is runng away from here. there are five cell phone etiquette rules that apparently every mom should follow. >> when you're on the phone, you have to realize that your kid is listening to you. and sometimes you forget and

you're using big girl things and your child is soaking it in. so you have to be careful. you don't want to be the one pushing your kid in a stroller and having a conversation. >> they do take it in. >> number two. unless it's an emergency, don't answer the phone when you're in the middle of a real life conversation. it you're talking to a mom friend or kid's teacher or something, or your actual child, call the person back. because it is true, it's like call waiting. remember that? when you're on the phone with somebody and they get a call waiting and they go, oh, i'll k call you back. you were the one in line. sometimes if you're waiting for a very important phone call, real friends will understand. but we're talking about thhabi l habitual -- you get into a habit with this. >> someone's phone rings and says, no, i won't get that, i want to hear what you have to say. it makes you feel so much better instead of saying just wait a

minute. >> however, i have thousand become that person. i wasn't that way until my kids went off to college. then it's like, i'm sorry, i keep my phone on in case it's my kid. >> but you always say i hate to do this -- this is the other time. when you're on the phone with your mom friend and she's like, yeah, exactly -- stop doing that -- would you put that down? half of your conversation is their screaming at their child conversation. >> that's just reality. >> i know. then hang up i guess and do it. >> they'll say she you think up. you can't win. and no need to give mom details to your nonmom friends. the truth is you guys, nobody cares. nobody cares if you're chaining diapers or -- nobody cares. you're not the first person who ever had a baby. >> and when you're talking to someone, don't text. let's say you're talking and i'm like this. >> yeah, i can tell when you zone out. it's so -- >> i do it without texting

sometimes. but doesn't that happen? sometimes you're in the middle and someone's talking and you're like, gosh -- what time is that thing tonight? oh, we're on tv. >> this is what hoda does. she goes -- >> no, i don't. >> she zones out on me. >> i have never had that face ever. >> show me your zone out face. >> you'll see it i'm sure in a minute or two. >> you know our friend, phil, he runs the "new york times" social qs column. somebody wrote in and said i had a consultation with a psychiatrist recently. after 20 minutes in the middle of a raw story about my family, his cell phone rang. he looked at it and said excuse me, i have to take this. >> so this guy thought it was an emergency. >> right. >> do you know what he said? i need to take this call. and he says, yeah, the lentil soup sounds great. perfect. >> and hung up. >> the lentil soup sounds great. >> the guy says i know it

shouldn't, but this bothers me. yeah, because you're paying a whole lot of money who doesn't give a rip about your problems. call and say there will be no second session. this is what phil does. he's a much nicer person. he said if you don't, i will. doctors have a special responsibility to give us their undivided attention. and we need to trust in it. at your next meeting say it upset me that you took a call about lentil soup in the middle of our session. everyone messes up. but if he doesn't apologize immediately or provide a good -- this is so much trouble. >> too long. >> like i say, find yourself another doctor. >> now my zone out face. >> there it goes. here's the thing. let him know why. people doesn't always agree. i think people should be told exactly why. it supset me so much, i'm going to change doctors.

most are cowards. they just change a doctor and don't even tell. hoda is glazing. >> i was listening. no, i was. more or less. >> more about texting? oh, come on. another study. >> right. that says we spend 81 days a year on e-mail. now, keep in mind e-mail is ordering things online -- >> not me. >> e-mailing friends. >> never. >> paying bills. >> no. >> guys constantly checking scores. check for sales. that's a lot of days. >> 81 days? think how much who are life i'm living than you. i hear everybody complaining about how many e-mails they get. i don't get one. >> you know what, it's got to be freeing because often you feel guilty about things you haven't returned. >> think of all the guilt i don't have. speaking of which, the new sex therapy, i have no guilt over this at all either. blame it on shades of grey.

i'm the only one who didn't read it. but this is different. although i bet ian would do it for you. >> this is weird. you're supposed to get intimate with your loved one in front of the sex therapist so that the sex therapist can coach you while you're doing it. to tell you what you should be doing to spice it up with toys or -- >> this is the holiday season and there are children watching. >> sorry. i said toys. but some people do it with skype. they do. >> or they will be delighted to come to the hotel room with you or to your bedroom. >> but you know, can i say one thing, if -- okay. when you're young and you've met someone and you get married or whatever, and you continue having sex the same way, you don't know all the tricks and stuff because no one has -- like

we don't have conversations about that kind of stuff. i mean, bobby does, but other people don't. obviously you don't know what you don't know. you no he what i'm saying? >> yeah, but most people don't know if they're happy or not happy in their relationship. i can understand going for couples couples therapy, but that borders on kinky pervert stuff. that's just me. i won't judge any of you kinky perverts out there. >> i think it's time for your friday funny. >> all right. jacob, age 92, and rebecca, age 89, are all excited about their decision to get married. they go for a stroll on to discuss the wedding. they go in a drug drug store and ask the man are you on the ener? we have. we're good b. to get married. do you sell heart medication? of course we do. jacob says how about head sin

for circulation? pharmacist says all c jacob, medicine for rheumatism? definitely. what about viagra? pharmacist says of course. jacob says memory problems? arthritis? >> yes, the works. jacob says what about vitamins, sleeping pills? absolutely, jacob. do you sell wheelchairs and walkers? pharmacist says all sizes. finally jacob says to the farmist, we'd like to register here for our wedding gifts, please. >> that's a good one. >> it's worth waiting for. >> you know what it's time for? bobbie's buzz. >> i have ways to spice up your new year's eve look in a very pg way. first fire and ice. each person would put on their own chap stick. and then you would kiss to create a chemistry reaction.

>> don't even look at me. i'm glazing over again. don't even -- move on, bt. no, i won't be encouraged. the courier is not over yet. we have a little time. >> madonna and britney. and so on my eyes, this is all about you can get your little black dress out and do something fun -- >> oh, no! >> now, mine is -- >> and this isn't kinky or perverted? >> no, mine is getting a little -- >> okay. >> how about yours? >> kiss me. >> nothing. >> nothing. >> that was it? >> oh, you missed out. that was awesome. >> you'll still be thinking about me. >> okay.

so back to the little black dress. oh, my gosh. well, there's hair color and these i have to give a shout out to. these are smart pony still holders. it helps you get the exact cinch. kathy will be a model. and it leaves a little decoration behind. so when you are looking for something easy to do, you just slip it through and then pull like it says and the little charm hangs. >> i might give up my scrunchy for this. i love this. bobbie, see you later. >> it is time to watch the stars shine. are you so he good times we've with celebrities this year. s is george. hi he is a good little monkey and always very curious. one day george got an important letter.

he's built a rocket ship to travel into space." google, how far is earth to the moon? the moon is 238,900 miles... "the great moment had come." 3, 2, 1... [ giggling ] till you finish your vegetables. [ clock ticking ] [ male announcer ] there's a better way... v8 v-fusion. vegetable nutrition they need, fruit taste they love. could've had a v8. or...try kids boxes! and we got onesies. sometimes miracles get messy. so we use tide free. no perfumes or dyes for her delicate skin. brad. not it. not it. just kidding. that's our tide. what's yours?

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as we come closer to the end of this year, we'd like to take

a look back at the celebs who have come to play with us. >> and we've certainly had our share of star power. let's take a look. ♪ >> one of the only shows i tivo. >> you have excellent taste in television personalities. >> we love you guys. you do keep us on the air. >> our pleasure. >> this is the best show on tv. >> isn't it? >> besides late. ♪ s. >> i had hives all over my -- everywhere. >> you've got to be careful who you date. >> god gave me a hickey. >> i can't stop touching myself. it's fabulous.

>> he's not miked. speak into high chest. tell me what you love so much about the four seasons. >> i can't see now. ♪ ♪ it's raining men >> have you got some dollar bills? >> yeah, we do. show us, big boy. ♪ hey sexy lady >> we would have done 50 shades of blue, red, orange, yellow. >> so things are good. ♪ hoda, when i think but you >> thank you very much. ♪ hoda, when i put my arms around you ♪ >> wow, i can't believe i get to do this. >> and that's exactly how i feel

right now. i can't believe i'm here! ♪ i feel like making hoda . can i get a hell yeah? >> we said three for the lion king and they gave us these tickets to the premiere, first review night of your show. >> that means the world to me. >> and there's a $2 facility fee. >> i know when you said you were going to talk about a special wine, you were talking about me. ♪ >> booze-day tuesday. >> you said babies again. we have to drink. ♪ don't stop the party

>> don't your center of gravity. >> am i kicking you in the balls? >> it's hard to look at you and not laugh just in general, but -- >> i'm not going to take that as a compliment. >> this is a bluetooth, but it's also a camera. i'm zooming in on you guys. >> hey, watch it. i'm no madonna. >> you can be. it is summertime. ♪ some day somebody's going to make you want to turn around and say good-bye ♪ >> i don't know this song, but i don't care. ♪ i looked high, low, everywhere i possibly can ♪ >> that's the one.

♪ i do love you, still >> we're having way too much fun. you should be arrested. how much fun is this? >> it's not over. they said it was over. >> we have to say good-bye thousand. >> i don't think so. s. >> you forget how many wonderful people have come here. thanks so much, everybody. now time to hear from our fans. >> sarah is warming them up across the street with some questions. [ rosa ] i'm rosa and i quit smoking with chantix. when the doctor told me that i could smoke for the first week... i'm like...yeah, ok... little did i know that one week later i wasn't smoking. [ male announcer ] along with support, chantix is proven to help people quit smoking. it reduces the urge to smoke. some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood, hostility, agitation,

depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. if you notice any of these stop taking chantix and call your doctor right away. tell your doctor about any history of depression or other mental health problems, which could get worse while taking chantix. don't take chantix if you've had a serious allergic or skin reaction to it. if you develop these stop taking chantix and see your doctor right away as some can be life-threatening. if you have a history of heart or blood vessel problems, tell your doctor if you have new or worse symptoms. get medical help right away if you have symptoms of a heart attack. use caution when driving or operating machinery. common side effects include nausea, trouble sleeping and unusual dreams. it helps to have people around you... they say, you're much bigger than this. and you are. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor if chantix is right for you. and you are. we're spreading the word about honey bunches of oats fruit blends and their unique taste combinations. like peach/raspberry. with one flavor in the granola bunch and one on the flake. two flavors. in harmony. honey bunches of oats. make your day bunches better.

tvo: tina's just trieds garnier nutrisse tina: with avocado, olive and shea. it's actually nourishing while it colors... richer? check. more radiant? yes! nourished hair, better color. you better believe it. garnier nutrisse. the story telling... the music. the costume design. filmmaking is my life. [ guy toe ] clarissa, i've always loved you! [ girl toe ] then prove it, marry me! it's a deal! [ kissing noises ]

cut. we got it! that's me. and this is my windows phone. [ male announcer ] new windows phone. reinvented around you. ♪ sarah is hanging out with the crowd across the street. >> we hope you pulled together some intriguing questions for you. >> i did. first up we have doris from new jersey. >> hi. what new year resolution are you going to make that you won't keep? >> good, i'm glad you you clarified. >> i'll tell you, sweets. >> no. i can't give that up. >> but that's the one you always make and you don't keep for 20 minutes. >> the real one i make every year is -- >> to get organized. >> and i'll never do it, but i'm going to try again. >> i don't want you to because that's half your charm. let's make that 95% of your

charm. >> what's the other? >> you have a great egyptian -- never mind. anything else, sarah? >> hi. boxers or briefs? >> boxers. >> nothing at all, baby. >> oh, lord. >> unless you're anderson cooper and i insist you wear them with your jeans. either one. frank is a boxer one. >> would you rather date or physical matt? >> that is so unkind. that is setting us up for disaster. >> they are both happily married and we'd they ever do such a thing. >> but if they were -- >> but willie geist -- >> yeah, he used to be in that mix. >> he's also happily married. but anderson -- never mind. thank you, sarah. >> all right. from the hilarious to the ridiculous, you never know what's going to come out of our mouths. we'll take a look back at a full

year. and the laughs don't stop. >> how is that even possible. >> we'll show you how to spice up new year's eve. all of that is coming up if you can stand it. [ male announcer ] sponges take your mark. [ female announcer ] one drop of ultra dawn

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it's about getting fios. that moment after you finally got it that you actually get it. the difference 100% fiber optics makes and you say "woah we are not on cable anymore." when online videos aren't herky jerky, you get it. or when a movie downloads in two minutes, you get it. [ female announcer ] switch to fios internet, tv, and phone for this amazing price online, just $79.99 a month guaranteed for two years with a two-year agreement. plus get $300 back. hurry, last chance to get this incredible deal. offer ends january 5th. fios brings you internet ranked the fastest in the nation. and unbeatable picture quality. it's 100% fiber optic, 100% different from cable. so get fios for this incredible price online, just $79.99 a month guaranteed for two years with a two-year agreement. plus get $300 back. or get this great price with no annual contract. hurry, this offer ends january 5th.

go to verizon.com/holidaydeal. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities that's verizon.com/holidaydeal. at 800-974-6006 tty/v. and see why millions have switched to america's fastest, most consistent, most reliable internet -- verizon fios.

we're back with today's beauty, break through products of the year. every year hundreds make dare would you. >> but which are really worth trying. grace is here with the best picks. >> there are over 8,000 products launched every single year. the only new thing with most of them is just the marketing. so we've brought products that have new technology. bear minerals is legendary for their foundation and they have's

put it in a compact. >> this is a foundation, not a powder? >> yes. >> it does look like it would give you that much coverage, but it does. a long way to go. let's get along. >> this is the celebrity loved line. they love this for the red carpet. this is maestro fusion foundation. check this out. it has a pigment fusion to it. it's almost like a dry oil. so you don't feel it on your face. >> look at the veins. >> close up, please. >> acne is a big problem. >> not for us, but go on. >> when you have it, you feel like defines you. so sad. >> and this is zappers. and this is the first one that prevents acne, as well.

this is a light and heat. and it's vibrating, too. >> oh, yeah. >> bringing the bacteria to the surface. and that kills it. so you can use this prevent differencely. >> what are you stopping for? >> okay. so that's twice a day. >> is this pricey? >> this is rice citis pricey. $195. but if you break out in the same area every time of the month -- >> just use it. >> is it circulation that's causing it? i mean the actual -- >> it's the heat and the light. >> okay. >> this a big brand right now on movie sets, tv sets. everybody on "the voice" is using this. and either's like photo shop for the face. the face, it goes on, celebrities can using it on their chests, the back of hands. it has soft pigments that goes in to the lines, the wrinkle, fills them and cover imperfections. they also have an eye version.

so this serum goes in to the q-tip. and this has ginseng in it so it tightens and lifts you up. it lasts for about four hours. so a little like cinderella. >> but everybody is in the gulag. this is the way high bramy brai if you're in siberia, wiho is looking at your face. >> this is lash genius. the first waterproof top coat. you can put this over any mascara it make it waterproof. keep it is very creamy.

>> if you have puffy eyes -- >> hoda does. >> i'm over this segment. >> you can massage it under the eyes. it breaks up fluid retention to break up the puffiness. awesome stuff. and it's stainless steel, so it will stay hygienic. and of course nail stickers were a big trend this year. this is kiss. >> i was going to say for children. >> look. don't you like that? >> we thought they were for youngsters. >> well, young girls can have a lot of fun with it. you can get it in the drug store. they're stickers so you can stick them right on -- >> stickers for adults. >> grace, you're a sweetheart. it's how we get this party started every day. >> all the fun we had all year long right after this. ♪

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she is taking up valuable cart space. aren't you, honey? [ male announcer ] it's clearance time! up to 50% off seasonal decor. 50% off toys. apparel $3 to $9. walmart. [ woman #2 ] it's the real deal! [ man #1 ] turn it around! turn it around! [ woman #1 ] over here! over here! [ woman #2 ] turn around! turn around! [ woman #1 ] i love you! i can't believe it's not butter! neither can i. turn the tub around! show us the back! [ man #1 ] turn the tub around! [ female announcer ] with zero grams of trans fat per serving, i can't believe it's not butter is a superstar! ♪ turn the tub around, and become a believer. ♪ he is a good little monkey and always very curious.

one day george got an important letter. he's built a rocket ship to travel into space." google, how far is earth to the moon? the moon is 238,900 miles... "the great moment had come." 3, 2, 1... [ giggling ] every day we start off our show by talking to each other. >> and sometimes it gets very personal. >> but any way, it can get a little silly as it sometimes does, but it's always a lot of fun. let's take a look. ♪ >> hai, everybody. beginning of the week. >> it's try me friday. we made it. >> this is not good. >> it's never good when the show

starts off like this. >> what's in our show today? >> seriously, i have no idea. this is called blind faith. >> what would happen if you or i showed up 45 minutes late for our work here? >> the show would be better. ♪ ♪ >> if you write down everything you put in your mouth, imagine what it looks like. >> everything? >> how much time am i doing in the slammer. >> the amp reject male is a sharp sha sharpie. >> not where i come from. >> you go through menopause and

you'll have big ones. big ugly unsightly ones that there is no room in the bathtub for. >> hoda, have you ever -- >> what? had a one night? never. >> good. >> no, i haven't. i'm just trying to figure out if i'm lying. ♪ ♪ >> we're starting there. >> i like it. >> because kathie lee gifford's musical is going to broadway. >> go to scandalous on broadway.com, baby. >> ready? here we go. ♪

>> hoda, please put boyfriend on your play list. ♪ >> if you were my boyfriend, i'd be arrested. there's no, hey, goofy goofy. none of that stuff. nobody's going to call the po-po. >> maria can continue grunting. you see what i'm saying? >> how do we do it, hoda, day after day? >> boom, just like that. >> how about regis. >> he's out of control. >> time for favorite things. >> something out there called a hoda barbie. >> time for kathie lee's friday fun day. >> a woman was nursing her baby --

>> seriously, is it over? ♪ >> this is the worst chat we've ever had. it is. >> kathie lee apologizes now for what she said, what she's saying, what she's bound it say next. i'm embarrassed and i poll giz on behalf of nbc news for what hoda just did. >> this is the second worst chat ever. >> boom, boom. >> three emmys. three. >> i tell, you two are probably the most talented people i know. >> wow. >> we're awesome. >> we really are. all right. do you want to spice up your new year's menu? vivian rocks. the two hot talamales will show

you how to do it. wait till your kids move back home after college.

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now in today's holiday kitchen, leave to the two hot tamales to add spice to your new year's eve party menu. >> mary sue is with us and also susan, co-chefs and owners of border grill restaurants. the hot tamales. >> all right. well, you better start new year's eve early, right? >> it's about time. >> we have a recipe that's quava with champagne and just for good measure, a little tequila. >> what about a toast? >> we don't want to cut into our drinking time. >> we're doing surf and turf.

take a little bit of shrimp. >> i want to be drinking and hanging out. >> a little bit much pepper. cumem, paprika and salt. >> c chumen is an amazing earth spice. it's the major ingredient in chili. >> you weren't to make sure the whole shrimp is coated. >> once you cook it up, how long do you -- >> it's easy as can be. you get a nice little crunchy bit here. >> these you don't do ahead. >> no, you can. they're wonderful just room

temperature. wait up you see how we serve them. we serve them with a mexican cocktail sauce with a little bit of kevtchup, finely diced onion -- >> so nobody really worries about their breath on new year's eve. >> this is a great cocktail sauce. it's very easy to make. we like to be really crunchy. so you can make the sauce and shrimp ahead. >> let's taste it. give it a try. and right when it costs out of the oven, you put on some fresh lime. and you can make it as spicy as you want. the shrimp have a red marinade. that's the surf. and the turf is the skirt steak which has a green marinade. so we have cilantro, lime juice,

a little bit of fresh chili. and more cumen. >> this is a vinaigrette to go on to the skirt steak. it comes this texture. >> how long do you soak it? >> i like to do it for a couple hours when it's thin like this. >> so all sides go into the may marinade. and then you stick it on some skewers and put it right on the grill. cook it literally probably two minutes at most. >> we have a couple of different sauces. and -- >> this is a south american chili that gives this great color. >> you guys rock. >> delicious. we love it. >> all the recipes are on our website. a look back at all the fun moments we've had on the show. but first, this is nbc. [ male announcer ] this commercial is not about getting fios,

it's about getting fios. that moment after you finally got it that you actually get it. the difference 100% fiber optics makes and you say "woah we are not on cable anymore." when online videos aren't herky jerky, you get it. or when a movie downloads in two minutes, you get it. [ female announcer ] switch to fios internet, tv, and phone for this amazing price online, just $79.99 a month guaranteed for two years with a two-year agreement. plus get $300 back. hurry, last chance to get this incredible deal. offer ends january 5th. fios brings you internet ranked the fastest in the nation. and unbeatable picture quality. it's 100% fiber optic, 100% different from cable. so get fios for this incredible price online, just $79.99 a month guaranteed for two years

with a two-year agreement. plus get $300 back. or get this great price with no annual contract. hurry, this offer ends january 5th. go to verizon.com/holidaydeal. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities that's verizon.com/holidaydeal. at 800-974-6006 tty/v. and see why millions have switched to america's fastest, most consistent, most reliable internet -- verizon fios.

i was on the cheer leading team to two years, but i didn't go back because girls laughed at the me because of my weight. i need to change this right now in this second. i want to be healthy for once. >> this season, age doesn't matter. >> there's nothing you cannot do. >> jill returns to the biggest loser.

on monday from party food to champagne, we'll tell you everything you need to know to ring in the new year just right. >> but before we go, we'd love to share some of the fun moments we've had this year. have an awesome weekend, everybody. god bless. ♪ >> you got to stop doing that. i really do. >> for a special price of $7 per drink in honor of 007. at my age i'm glad that i can see that it's two zeros and a seven. i'm older than play doh. >> how old are you going to be tomorrow? >> 59. i can't believe it. >> my head is bigger than yours. >> try on your hat.

try this one. >> coming up next -- i hate my hat. >> you should. ♪ >> blow, mama. blow. >> you were making sounds. >> boy, do you gulp loudly. >> this is her hidden talent. >> what's the one thing you can't live without? >> i was going to say my mom. >> i can't live without god. >> that made me feel awful. that was just rude. ♪ >> you're not to say it.

and don't do it again. ♪ i'm sexy and i know it >> is this game stacked? >> a little bit stacked. >> no, but we are. >> oh, my gosh, look at those coconuts. >> what a lovely pair. >> she looks like she's getting toward mount sea biscuit and go for a right. >> spank me, baby. >> your nuts are still on there, lou. hate to be -- they are. >> they decided to deck out. all the way down. >> he looks like winnie-the-pooh. ♪ >> wow. >> finally something i want. thank you.

>> and now, there you go, you have one and the other one is going up to the ceiling. >> so sad. >> your mating wolf can go that way. >> kangaroo is getting no attention. >> you've insulted every one of our guests. >> something just flew out of your nose, hoda. >> plays an important role in many relationships. >> what did you learn about the jazz fest? >> i was smashed. anyway, i went to the new orleans jazz fest and got hammered! ♪ [ male announcer ] this commercial is not about getting fios,

it's about getting fios. that moment after you finally got it that you actually get it. the difference 100% fiber optics makes and you say "woah we are not on cable anymore." when online videos aren't herky jerky, you get it. or when a movie downloads in two minutes, you get it. [ female announcer ] switch to fios internet, tv, and phone

for this amazing price online, just $79.99 a month guaranteed for two years with a two-year agreement. plus get $300 back. hurry, last chance to get this incredible deal. offer ends january 5th. fios brings you internet ranked the fastest in the nation. and unbeatable picture quality. it's 100% fiber optic, 100% different from cable. so get fios for this incredible price online, just $79.99 a month guaranteed for two years with a two-year agreement. plus get $300 back. or get this great price with no annual contract. hurry, this offer ends january 5th. go to verizon.com/holidaydeal. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities that's verizon.com/holidaydeal. at 800-974-6006 tty/v. and see why millions have switched to america's fastest, most consistent, most reliable internet -- verizon fios.